Study: Teen Girls Can Maintain Healthy Weight While Consuming Dairy Products

Teenage girls can maintain a healthy weight and still consume dairy products, according to a study in the September issue of the International Journal of Obesity.

Dairy foods are the primary source of calcium for children and adolescents with the recommended daily intake in teenaged girls being equal to four servings of milk, cheese or yogurt daily. Nearly nine out of 10 teenage girls don't get the calcium they need due to low dairy intake.

In a study involving 196 nonobese girls who were enrolled when they were between the ages of 8 and 12 and followed throughout their teen years, researchers found no relationship between the girls' body mass index, body fat percentage and dairy food or calcium consumption.

Study co-author Aviva Must, an associate professor at Tufts University, said the finding helps dispel a myth about dairy products doing more harm than good in the diets of teenagers.

Must said it is important for teenage girls to consume dairy products because of the potential health benefits of natural calcium in dairy products, particularly its role in building bone mass. "The window for maximizing bone mass occurs only in adolescence and doesn't occur again," she added.

"Many young women cut out dairy for fear of fat. This study shows that they can keep milk, cheese and yogurt in their diets and maintain a healthy weight," said Deanna Rose, registered dietitian, National Dairy Council.

Other sources: International Journal of Obesity (27: 9; 1106-1113), Dairy Management Inc.