Fight fat with dairy: Curtin scientist
CHRIS THOMSON
21/10/2009 11:55:00 AM
Contrary to popular belief, new West Australian research shows a
higher intake of dairy foods while on a reduced calorie diet can help
fight obesity.

As part of her PhD research, Wendy Chan She Ping Delfos, from Curtin
University of Technology, compared three serves of dairy with five
serves within a lower calorie diet prescribed to overweight
participants over 12-weeks.

Dr Chan She Ping Delfos found greater weight loss and reduced risk
factors for heart disease and diabetes could ensue.

Subjects who consumed five, rather than three, serves of dairy per day
lost more weight and abdominal fat, and had lower blood pressure.

"Many people commonly believe that when trying to lose weight dairy
products are key foods that they have to cut out of their diet, as
they are high in fat," Dr Chan She Ping Delfos said.

"This study has shown that when trying to lose weight people can
actually benefit by increasing the amount of dairy they consume beyond
the normally-recommended three daily serves, as long as during the
weight loss period total energy intake is less than their
requirements.

"Increasing dairy intake to five serves per day as part of a reduced
calorie diet has never been studied before, and such diets containing
high levels of protein, calcium and vitamin D, among other bioactive
nutrients, can be an important part of a prudent weight loss or weight
maintenance diet."

The medical researcher found that combining resistance exercise could
have long-term benefits.

"Participants who had five serves of dairy and engaged in resistance
exercise had similar health benefits to participants consuming five
serves of dairy only," she said.

"However, the participants who engaged in resistance exercise did show
significantly less muscle loss during the weight loss trial and had a
higher fasting fat oxidation rate (burning of fat) during the trial.

"The group of participants engaging in resistance exercise also had a
lower percentage of total fat regain at a follow-up visit 12 weeks
after the initial trial."

The dairy products consumed by study participants were cheese, yoghurt
and low fat milk.
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