Obesity in children is getting higher because children consume food or snacks that full of sugar and salt, including fat. But according to a new study, if children were given low-fat milk, the risk of obesity is not going to change.
This conclusion was obtained after a team of researchers led by Dr. Mark DeBoer of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, USA studied 10,700 U.S. children aged 2-4 years.
For this study, participants were also involved parents and asked about the condition of their children. When participants reached the age of 4 years, parents were also asked about consumption of juice, soda, energy drinks and other beverages, but the researchers did not observe the consumption of milk with flavor. Then each participant was measured weight and height.
"Compared to those who drank 2 percent milk / pure, children aged 2-4 years who drink skim milk had a higher chance of being overweight or obese," said the researchers in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.
"The habit of drinking low-fat milk is often seen in children who are overweight, but not that it prevents weight gain in children aged 2-4 years," he added.
From there, researchers found that children who were given a skim or 1 percent milk contains only pure it has a body mass index score higher than children who drink whole milk or milk containing 2 percent fat, even after the researchers adjusted the ethnic factor and the economic conditions participants.
In addition, children who regularly drank skimmed milk were not overweight at the age of 2 years in fact likely to be obese by 57 percent when they reach the age of 4 years.
Researchers suspect could be children who were given low-fat milk are children who have been overweight. That's why they will gain weight if given skim milk, compared with children who were given whole milk or higher fat content.
"But if a child is actively playing outside and having a balanced diet and avoid consumption of juice and soda, may be any type of milk consumed by children is not a problem," DeBoer closed as reported chicagotribune, Tuesday (19/03/2013).
For that, rather than focusing on the child's milk consumption, the researchers recommend that parents improve children's health by ensuring that children reduce television viewing habits, consumption of sweetened beverages made and encourage children to exercise more.