The author is with the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program with the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.
I would like to call to everyone's attention that ABC News published a short article reporting the results of long-term monitoring of the relationship between diet and weight control (16 years). The article is refreshingly simple and, at the same time, contains a brief summary of the scientific reason why eating products high in sugar is not a good idea. But the recommendations for weight control are good news for beef, poultry and dairy!
The recommendations (quoted):
1. Load up on low-glycemic foods.
2. Eat more of these protein-rich foods, specifically.
3. Don't worry so much about full-fat dairy.
4. Do balance out your meals.
5. Quit obsessing about calories.
The ABC article notes that "An increase in eating full-fat cheese and whole milk did not relate to weight gain or weight loss. ‘In fact, when people consumed more low-fat dairy products, they increased their consumption of carbs, which may promote weight gain,' said primary study author Jessica Smith, Ph.D., in a statement."
What's more: "Boosting consumption of yogurt, seafood, skinless chicken and nuts best helped stave off the pudge."
And one more bit of good news: " . . . eating red meat (commonly linked to weight gain) with veggies (instead of with, say, white bread) helped offset gain. And when people ate more eggs and cheese in combination with lower glycemic foods, participants lost weight (while combining them with high glycemic foods was linked to weight gain).
The ABC article can be accessed here.
Rather than just defending milk, the dairy industry should be promoting whole milk and products derived from whole milk. Get out there and sell it!
