Drink skim milk to lose fat? Study: Children are more likely to be obese

Milk is a healthy drink for children to supplement their nutrition, but the high fat content in it is also the reason why many parents worry that their children may become obese. Therefore, many people choose to let their children drink skim milk instead, believing that this can help reduce the risk of childhood obesity. However, according to the research content of the "Early Childhood Education Longitudinal Survey" in the United States, in fact, drinking skim milk or whole milk does not have much effect on obese children.

A US survey found that drinking skim milk is not very helpful in reducing childhood obesity. On the contrary, drinking whole milk can help children maintain a normal weight.

The U.S. "Time" website reported that a research report published in the "Archives of Disease in Childhood" by the University of Virginia School of Medicine pointed out that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have long recommended that 2-year-old children drink 1% or 2% low-fat or skim milk to reduce the risk of obesity. However, after analyzing the types of milk consumed and the BMI index of 2- and 4-year-old children, it was found that among the 30% of overweight children, the BMI index of children who drank 2% skim milk was lower than that of those who drank 1% skim milk.

In addition, DeBoer, chairman of the AAP Nutrition Committee, said that although the weight of children who drank 1% skim milk during the study period was still maintained within the normal range, the probability of becoming overweight or obese at the age of 4 was as high as 57%. Moreover, the BMI value of the group drinking whole milk at the age of 4 was lower than that of the group drinking milk with a fat content of 1% or 2%.

At present, researchers have not yet been able to reasonably explain this result, but speculate that children who drink whole milk may be more likely to feel full and therefore are less likely to consume excessive amounts of other foods; however, the exact reason may require more investigation and analysis.