Obesity Has Risen At Epidemic Rates Over The Past 20 Years

Currently, nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, which significantly increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other diseases. Halting this epidemic is a public health priority.

While we're a nation that's overfed, many Americans are also undernourished. For instance, about two-thirds of adults in this country fail to get the calcium they need. This is primarily due to the decline in dairy consumption. Long known for its benefits to bone health, dairy foods may also play a role in improving body weight and/or composition, according to a growing body of scientific research.

Some of these studies suggest that for people who do not consume recommended amounts of dairy products, they can enhance their weight loss efforts by including 3 servings of dairy products each day in a reduced-calorie weight loss plan.  In several controlled clinical trials of overweight or obese adults following reduced-calorie diets, increasing dairy intake to 3 servings a day of milk, yogurt or cheese resulted in greater weight loss compared to the adults who only cut calories. These findings are encouraging in view of emerging research demontrating calcium's role in the body's natural system for regulating body weight and fat. Additionally, other studies exploring dietary intake patterns and body weight in various population groups have suggested that getting adequate amounts of dairy not only promotes an overall healthy diet, but may also promote healthy weight.

The current body of research includes randomized clinical trials (considered the "gold standard" of science), observational, animal and cellular studies conducted by leading research institutions throughout the country. This intriguing connection is being studied worldwide -- with positive results reported in Denmark, Greece, Italy and other countries.

While more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between dairy and weight, experts suggest this emerging role for dairy foods is another good reason for people to meet current dietary recommendations of 3 servings a day of low fat or fat free milk, yogurt or cheese. (See www.mypyramid.gov for more information.)