Trim milk linked to obesity in kids - research

Children who drink full cream milk instead of trim have a better chance of beating obesity, a new study shows.

Experts often recommend trim milk as a healthier alternative because it has a lower cholesterol content. The New Zealand Heart Foundation suggests switching kids from full cream to lighter alternatives from two-years-old.

However, a team of researchers, led by Prof Mark DeBoer, followed a sample population of 10,700 children from age two to four. At the end of the two years the children and their parents answered a survey about the kind of milk they preferred.

The results found children who drank 2 per cent milk had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those who drank 1 per cent, or trim. The study also showed that two-year-olds who began with a healthy weight and drank trim milk, increased their obesity risk by 57 per cent, Time reported.

While full cream milk contains more calories and fat than skinny alternatives, Prof DeBoer said it keeps kids feeling fuller for longer. The added fat content could also release a hormone called cholecystokinin which increase digestion fats and proteins, Medical Daily reported.

The paper was published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

- www.nzherald.co.nz