Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, U.S. schools have eliminated whole milk, in favor of reduced-fat and nonfat varieties. This was intended to help curb childhood obesity; however, a new study calls into question whether reduced-fat milk is effective in reducing obesity. Researchers analyzed 28 different studies into the effects of drinking different varieties of cow’s milk. In 18 of the studies, drinking whole milk was associated with lower levels of overweight and obesity, while 10 of the studies showed no association. The researchers indicated that more research is needed but that serving reduced-fat milk may not, in fact, have the desired effect of reducing obesity.
Source: Vanderhout, S.M., Aglipay, M., Torabi, N., Jüni, P., da Costa, B.R., Birken, C.S., … Thorpe, K.E. (2019, December 18). Whole milk compared with reduced-fat milk and childhood overweight: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
