Full-fat milk will NOT make children obese despite health officials advising parents to pick semi-skimmed, study finds
- NHS say it's best to opt for lower fat milks from childhood because of obesity risk
- Australian researchers found no clear link after a review of 29 studies globally
- They said giving your child anything but full fat could make them feel hungry
- Milk is full of essential vitamins like calcium which is vital for growing bones
Full-fat milk will not make your child obese, a study has found, despite health officials advising parents to pick semi-skimmed.
The NHS says it's best to opt for lower fat milks from childhood because having too much fat in your diet 'can result in you becoming overweight'.
But Australian researchers found no clear link after a review of 29 studies from around the world.
Instead, they said giving your child anything but full fat milk could make them feel hungry, and therefore snack on other foods.
Milk is full of essential vitamins, including calcium which is vital for the growing bones and teeth.
Full-fat milk will not make your child obese, a study has found, despite health officials advising parents to pick semi-skimmed
Edith Cowan University, led by associate professor Therese O'Sullivan, analysed the findings of studies which looked at the impact of full-fat dairy products on children.
There was no evidence to suggest the consumption of whole-fat dairy products leads to weight gain, high cholesterol or high blood pressure in children.
Professor O'Sullivan said: 'Dietary guidelines in Australia and other countries recommend children primarily consume reduced-fat dairy products to maintain a healthy weight and good cardiovascular health.
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'We found studies were consistent in reporting that whole-fat dairy products were not associated with increased levels of weight gain or obesity.
'Reduced-fat dairy is generally recommended for both adults and children over the age of two years due to its lower energy and saturated fat content.
'However, studies suggest children who consumed low-fat over full-fat dairy were actually replacing those calories from fat with other foods.
'This suggests that low-fat dairy is not as filling as whole-fat dairy, which may lead kids to consume more of other foods. Health effects may depend on what these replacement foods are.'
The paper, published in Advances in Nutrition, suggests there needs to be more good quality research into children's nutrition in order to make guidelines for parents.
Public Health England (PHE) issued guidelines in June 2019 which said that children aged 12 months can drink whole cows' milk and have full fat dairy products. But once they turn two years old, full fat dairy should be avoided, The Telegraph reports.
Instead, from two years onwards children should drink semi-skimmed milk provided the child 'is a good eater and growing well for their age'.
On the NHS website, health chiefs say that for older children and adults 'it's a good idea to go for lower fat milks' to prevent weight gain.
The latest findings, therefore, will add confusion to what should be given to children of varying ages.
Professor O'Sullivan said: 'Parents are already overwhelmed by conflicting advice for kids' nutrition, especially when it comes to full-fat versus low-fat dairy.
'We need more good quality research to inform evidence-based guidelines for parents, even if that means rethinking what we thought we knew about dairy.'
Unsaturated fat is considered healthier, which is why milk may get a bad wrap - it's mainly made of saturated fat.
The NHS recommends that adults trying to cut down on fat should start by buying one per cent fat or skimmed milk instead of whole milk. But this contains too little fat for youngsters.
However, Professor O'Sullivan said: 'Even though the fats found in whole-fat dairy are mostly saturated fats, they don't appear to be associated with the same detrimental health effects observed with foods like fatty meats.
'Dairy is a good dietary source of nutrients for healthy development, including protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and several vitamins.'
The authors noted most studies in their meta-analysis were observational, and none were good quality trials.
