Contrary to the popular perception that dairy foods are ‘fattening’, a growing body of research suggests that milk and dairy foods may have a positive role in weight control in both adults and children.
A number of observational studies have reported that dairy-rich diets are associated with lower body weight, less body fat, less abdominal obesity and less fat gain over time. Overall, results from intervention studies suggest that including dairy foods in a weight-reducing diet may enhance weight loss.
Dairy’s calcium and protein are likely to be involved in its effects on energy balance, including through influences on appetite and satiety, fat absorption and energy use. From the available evidence it seems likely that for those trying to lose weight, avoiding dairy or having a low dairy intake may be counterproductive.
You can download an overview on Dairy and Weight Control here
Some of the presentations on weight control from our conferences and symposia are below.
Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) 13th European Nutrition Conference, Dublin, October 2019
Symposium on Beyond nutrients: health effects of the dairy matrix:
Metabolic health: the impact of the dairy matrix
Professor Arne Astrup, University of Copenhagen
DCNI & European Milk Forum (EMF) Symposium, Belfast, October 2017
Dr Michelle McKinley, Queen’s University Belfast
Muscle, bones and body fat: dairy matrix effects on body composition
DCNI Nutrition & Health Conference, Belfast, April 2015
Professor Barbara Livingstone, Ulster University
Overweight and obesity – portion…size matters!
Professor Jason Ellis, Northumbria University
Overweight and obesity – the role of sleep
DCNI & European Milk Forum (EMF) Symposium, Belfast, September 2014
Prof Arne Astrup, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Dairy and weight management: a review of the evidence
DCNI Nutrition & Health Conference, Belfast, April 2013
Dr Janne Kunchel Lorenzen, University of Copenhagen
Dairy and weight control: what’s the evidence?