Surprising Findings About Milk & Kids’ Weight

Parents are routinely advised to switch to low-fat milk for kids once they reach age two – or as early as 12 months old for children at risk for being overweight or with a family history of heart disease, obesity or high cholesterol. But is it possible that children who drink full-fat milk on a daily basis have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) – the ratio of height to weight – than youngsters who rarely consume milk? That’s the conclusion of a thesis presented recently at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The study looked at the nutrition, bone mineralization and body composition of 120 healthy eight-year-olds in Sweden, and asked the children how often they consumed a variety of foods.

The researchers found that the full-fat milk drinkers weighed less, on average, than the infrequent milk-drinkers. The same failed to hold true for kids who drank low-fat or medium-fat milk. It’s true that the full-fat milk drinkers consumed more saturated fat than recommended, but they still had a lower BMI than kids with a lower fat intake.

The explanation? Researchers say they really don’t have the answer. One possibility: Kids who avoid full-fat milk may be consuming more sugary soft drinks, say the researchers. Or, the full-fat milk drinkers may be more likely to be eating other healthy foods.

Before making your decision about what kind of milk to serve your youngster, talk with your child’s pediatrician.