Full-Fat Dairy Linked to Lower Weight

Again, I think this is another correlation, not causation case. Maybe the women that eat the higher fat dairy just exercise more so they feel justified in eating the full-fat stuff. I prefer the taste of skim milk to whole, so I generally choose skim. I do eat full fat ice cream though...low fat just isn't as good. I think the key here is 1 SERVING, not loads and loads of it like most people tend to consume.

I noticed this study yesterday! If you look at the study, I believe it states that no weight gain was seen in women of NORMAL weight. It has no relation to the situation of 'over weight' women!
I remember seeing Marylou Henner (I think that's right?) being interviewed about her successful weight loss. She said, "When I stopped eating DAIRY, I lost that BOVINE look!" This doctor does not endorse dairy for adults.

Ick, I just couldn't eat whole milk or full fat cheese. It tastes bad to me. I love my skim milk though, yum!

I, on the other hand, avoid low-fat and non-fat milk, for both taste and health. Dairy for adults isn't a clear yes-or-no thing. It's a case-by-case situation, much like grains or starches in general. This, though, is assuming raw milk from pasture-fed cows.

Well, wasn't the point that it could have come from CLA? That would suggest that you could get the same results by taking CLA, which has been in a number of studies. And gaining less weight, how much less? What if it was only a little bit?

Very interesting. I find full fat milk to be very creamy now. It goes especially well with chocolate fudge which is a bit unfortunate!!!

I must stress that this stuff contains excessive amounts of damaged saturated fats.

Now you need some saturated fats in your diets for vitamin D absorption, but take it in the form of some clean animal fats (lard or tallow) or tropical fats (like palm and coconut oil). Milkfat, however, is NOT a healthy saturated fats, because these fats are damaged by the process of homogenization of the dairy product. However, raw milk butter is much healthier.

Plus, make sure that saturated fats are no more than 35 percent of your total fat intake, but no less than 20 percent. You also need monounsaturated fats from olive oil or grapeseed oil and healthy polyunsaturated fats from fish oil, krill oil, flax oil, and hempseed oil.

...was this study possibly funded by the American Dairy Council? Whatever. Everything in moderation, I guess, but I can see alot of people gaining 10 lbs. before they figure out that this is a long term study. Did it say anything about the regular exersize or OTHER eating habits of these people?... I've got an old roommate who ate a ton of dairy, but was skinny as a rail- he was also a hiker, and a die-hard vegetarian.

Maybe it's the people who never diet, and eat completely normal. My ex bf's mom would drink whole milk, and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, chili, normal things. She was 5'4 and around 120lbs. I was so jealous of her FLAT stomach after having 3 babies, inclusind my ex, who was 10lbs 22in when he was born. So I think it's the people who never stress calories that are more likely to eat normal portions and stop when they are full. Because all that dieting does is make you obsess over food, and then overeat eventually. As a matter of fact, her oldest daughter, who is 16 now, has been trying to diet. But she's only gotten bigger since then. Now she weighs about 20lbs more than her mom.

James is right - saturated fat should be no more than 20 percent of your diet. And of course, if you are eating too much, you probably won't get any weight-loss benefits. Anyway they would be minimal, because the amount of CLA in these products is small compared to the supplements.

I drink fat-free milk and eat fat-free yogurt - but I only eat full-fat cheese. Lower fat cheese just tastes nasty to me. I'd rather eat less of the real thing.

And I think Laura is absolutely right. The fact they drink full-fat milk probably means they eat intuitively, which is the real difference there.

I'm finding I'm still losing weight after changing back to full-fat dairy, I think making the switch to low-fat was a big mistake for me personally. Full-fat keeps me full for longer with only half the amount I would have of low-fat, I love the flavour and I have tons of energy, plus the loose skin I was developing while losing weight on low-fat dairy has disappeared

I agree with others on here that it's most likely the women in the study had good eating habits already, and the results shouldn't be seen as a green light to scoff as much full-fat dairy as possible before it becomes "bad for us" again. Moderation is essential.

Sounds like another study funded by the dairy industry to me.

INterestingly, the UK (where industry lobbying and dirty tactics are nowhere near as prevalent as the US) cheese has just been categorised as junk food.

There, the Food Standards Agency ranked a 100g serving of cheese as unhealthier than sugary cereals, crisps or cheeseburgers. Their guidelines mean cheese will be treated like other banned foods including mayonnaise, butter, chocolate, colas, pizza and fried chicken.

So full fat dairy helping people lose weight?

I. Don't. Think. So.

Leanne said:
Sounds like another study funded by the dairy industry to me. [...]

The UK has banned butter, chocolate, and fried chicken, and now cheese? Are you sure about that? That sounds made-up to me.

I'm with Nic. I don't believe this at all.

If they are going to ban the nasty processed cheese slices, I say good for them. England has actually worked hard to make the whole "cheeses of every region of England" thing famous, so they could be considered as highly as the Italian and French cheeses, and to encourage the cheese making traditions. Butter is not bad either.

And even if something like that were true, of course, it is the dairy industry of small producers that is behind this awful conspiracy. Not Kellogs', that had their processed junk called healthier than cheese.

In response to Leanne's comment, for a start, no food has been "banned"! Us Brits are still able to eat whatever we choose.

Cheese has been categorised as just as unhealthy as chocolate, butter etc. due to the saturated fat content. However, they have suggested a serving as 100g, whereas a normal recommended serving is only 30-40g. It therefore it all boils down to the age-old portion control.

Leanne said:
Sounds like another study funded by the dairy industry to me.[...]

I say better them than the people who make Lipitor.

Also, isn't full-fat dairy typically cheaper than low-fat dairy (for both the perceived "health food added cost", and also because having skimmers adds a lot to cost, even with the offset of selling the cream, butter, etc.)? So why is the dairy industry interested in saying their cheaper product is better for you than their more expensive product?

In New Zealand, both low and full fat are the same price. The milk that costs more is the stuff that hasn't been homogenised, less processing, more cost, hmmmm.

Here in Brazil when the dairy is close to expiration date, you'll find both full-fat, skim, and semi-skim for the same price, but usually, skim is always more expensive. Even at the organic foods street market the skim milk and yogurt cost more, since only one market stall holder there can afford a skimmer, so he has no competition.

Here in Wisconsin, skim milk is cheaper than low fat or whole milk. I think yogurt is pretty much the same no matter which you choose but I think lowfat cheese may cost a bit more because they have to put extra things in it to make it taste ok. I hate lowfat cheese...I'd rather have a nice tiny serving of REAL Parmesano Reggiano or something with a little flavor.

Spectra said:
Here in Wisconsin, skim milk is cheaper than low fat or whole milk. I think yogurt is pretty much the same no matter which you choose but I think lowfat cheese may cost a bit more because they have to put extra things in it to make it taste ok. I hate lowfat cheese...I'd rather have a nice tiny serving of REAL Parmesano Reggiano or something with a[...]

Here in DC, fat-free cheese is more expensive than regular which sucks! I haven't noticed any difference in the price of milk, because it would never occur to me to buy anything other than skim. Even 1% turns my stomach.

I LOOOOVE milk. Especially full fat milk. I come from a long line of dairy farmers. I don't care what people say about full fat milk - and I drink skim all the time - it is the best. Skim milk just lacks something more than the extra calories next to whole milk. When I've gotten the old holiday weight fluctuation beaten I'm going to revert to whole milk.

Not that anyone cares. I realize that.

I care, Grace.

I like full-fat goat's milk. Now that is the good stuff.

Can't believe people take that study seriously. The weight issue is a problem, but then, ever wonder why European countries ban our milk and dairy? Hormones. Hormones in cows that are linked to cancer in humans.

Check out "what's in your milk" (and remember: it's concentrated in cheese):

http://www.world-wire.com/news/0701030001.html

FYI, Mark

This is why you should stick to organic dairy products (preferably unhomogenized and unpasteurized). Whole milk from grass-fed cows is indeed better than skim-milk. You strip away too much of the good stuff when you take out the fat.

Nature makes whole milk.
Man makes skim milk.