Dairy Products Are Linked To Leaner Kids, Study Finds

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Youngsters who skimp on milk and other dairy products to avoid calories

actually appear to substantially increase their risk of becoming overweight,

a study found.

Several reports in recent years have shown the health benefits of dairy

products, despite their fat content. The latest research shows an

unusually striking effect on weight as children go through their teenage

years.

While the overall cause of obesity is too much food and too little

exercise, many studies are trying to tease apart the precise changes in

habits driving the trend.

Lynn , an epidemiologist at Boston University School of

Medicine, reported at a meeting of the American Heart Association

that just two servings of dairy a day are linked to a substantial reduction

in the number of adolescents who are overweight.

Childhood dairy intake has been falling for the past 20 years, in part

as preferences have switched from milk to soft drinks.