title: Associations between flavored milk consumption and changes in weight and body composition over time: differences among normal and overweight children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few studies have investigated the associations between flavored milk consumption and body composition in children. We aimed to examine the prospective relationships between flavored milk consumption and body fat.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects included 2270 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Flavored milk consumption at age 10 years was assessed using dietary records; consumption was dichotomized as consumers and non-consumers. Percent body fat was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at 11 and 13 years. Body weight at 11 and 13 years was included as a secondary outcome. Associations were also examined in a subset of plausible reporters to evaluate the influence of dietary reporting errors. There was an effect of interaction between flavored milk and baseline weight on body fat (P-interaction <0.02).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In plausible reporters, overweight/obese children who consumed flavored milk had less favorable changes in body fat compared with non-consumers (adjusted means: -0.16%, 95% CI: -3.8, 3.5 vs -3.4%, 95% CI: -6.5, -0.42, P=0.02). Similar associations with body weight were observed. The adjusted mean percent body fat for overweight/obese girls who consumed flavored milk was greater at age 13 compared with 11 years (39.7%, 95% CI: 32, 47 vs 38.3%, 95% CI: 32, 44). The mean percent body fat for overweight/obese boys was similar between consumers and non-consumer is at 13 years (30.4%, 95% CI: 20, 41 vs 30.1%, 95% CI: 21, 40).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight/obese children who consumed flavored milk had less favorable changes in body composition over time. Although more research is needed, discouraging flavored milk consumption may be one beneficial strategy to address childhood obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Noel
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Northstone
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Emmett
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Newby
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D005260:Female; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D005421:Flavoring Agents