The role of dairy products on body weight and metabolic health in families

Project Overview

Diets rich in dairy products have been suggested to play a role in body weight control and other aspects of metabolic health including the maintenance of healthy microbiota. Although dairy products represent an important source of saturated fat, it has been proposed that the combination of nutrients and complex food matrices of the various dairy products may counteract the negative effects of the fat content. However, little is known about the effect of low vs. full-fat dairy products in a free-living context.

The overall objective is to examine the effect of both low-fat and full-fat dairy products on body weight, appetite control and metabolic health in adults (18-55 y) and in children (8-16y). This project also aims to identify some key mechanisms (i.e., glycemic control, blood lipids, microbiota) that may be involved in the impact of dairy products on these outcomes.

What Will the Research Team Do?

In order to promote the consumption of dairy products, this study will develop and evaluate the impact of a web-based nutrition intervention integrating full-fat or low-fat dairy products into the diets of families (at least one parent with obesity) under free-living conditions, on overall dairy consumption, body weight, diet quality, eating behaviours and cardiometabolic outcomes, in normal weight and obese adults and children. This is a randomized, controlled study consisting of three groups: Low-fat, full-fat dairy and control over an 8-week period. The intervention, called “Family Dairyathlon,” aims to increase the quantity and variety of dairy products (i.e., low or full-fat milk, yogurt and cheese) in the diets of each member of the family. 

The specific objectives are to: 

1. Determine overall dairy consumption, dairy variety and diet quality. 
2. Evaluate body weight and appetite control, reported energy intake, food preference and eating behaviours.
3. Assess cardiometabolic risk factors (glycemic control, lipid profiles) and microbiota profiles.