MONDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Drinking low-fat or skim
milk does not prevent toddlers from gaining excess weight and is
actually associated with overweight and obesity in preschool
children, a new study finds. The findings challenge a
recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and
the American Heart Association (AHA) that all children drink
low-fat or skimmed milk after age 2 to reduce their saturated
fat intake and avoid excess weight gain. One expert not
connected to the study said it brings up interesting questions.
"For many years the message to parents has been simple: after
about 2 years of age it is recommended to change your child's
milk consumption to low-fat or skim milk," said Marlo Mittler, a
registered dietitian at Cohen Children's Medical Center of New
York in New Hyde Park. "This latest study says we need to think
this through." In the study, researchers gathered data about the
milk consumption of 11,000 American children when they were 2
and 4 years old. They were also