A four-page review of some 79 research projects assessing the relationship between dairy and obesity showed “no consistent evidence that checkoff funded projects were more likely to support an obesity prevention benefit from dairy consumption.”
The results are report in the May 11, 2012 issue of “Physiology and Behavior.” The researchers, from Tufts University, looked at 17 studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and 62 studies funded by either the National Dairy Research and Promotion Board or the National Fluid Milk Processor Education Program. The studies were conducted between 2001 and 2005.
Thirteen of the 17 NIH studies were “slightly more likely” to find favorable results—meaning dairy was found to be involved in weight loss. But the other three NIH studies found unfavorable results. Of the 62 checkoff funded studies, 40 had positive results, 18 were neutral and four were undetermined.
In essence, the NIH-funded studies had a higher percentage of favorable results (76.5%) than the dairy checkoff funded studies (64.5%). But the NIH studies also had the only unfavorable results (17.7%) compared to none for the dairy checkoff studies.
