Total dairy consumption in relation to overweight and obesity in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and prospective cohort studies was conducted to assess the associations between total dairy consumption and its different subtypes with the prevalence and incidence of overweight, obesity, and overweight/obesity in children and adolescents. A literature search was conducted in Medline through PUBMED and Cochrane Library databases until October 18, 2021. Articles reporting the risk estimates as odd ratios (OR), risk ratios (RR), or hazard ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between dairy product consumption and the risk of overweight and/or obesity were included. In the meta-analysis from cross-sectional studies, results showed an inverse association between total dairy consumption and obesity prevalence (OR (95% CI): 0.66 (0.48-0.91). No significant associations were found between milk or yogurt and obesity prevalence risk. Regarding prospective studies, total milk consumption was positively associated with overweight prevalence (OR (95% CI): 1.13 (1.01-1.26)) and incidence (RR (95%CI): 1.17 (1.01-1.35)) risk. Evidence from pooled analysis of cross-sectional studies suggested an inverse association between total dairy consumption and obesity. However, there is limited and no conclusive evidence to confirm an inverse relationship from pooled analysis of prospective studies in children and adolescents. This paper and this supplement issue on Determinants of Childhood Obesity are ancillary endeavor part of the European Science & Technology in childhood Obesity Policy (STOP) project (H2020 SC2; ref. 774548). J. Salas-Salvadó, the senior author, gratefully acknowledges the financial support by ICREA under the ICREA Academia program. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) of Spain, which is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), “A way to make Europe”/”Investing in your future” (CB06/03). It is supported by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish government, ISCIII, Spain. Dr. Nerea Becerra-Tomás was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship (Juan de la Cierva-Formación, FJC2018-036016-I. Dr. Stephanie K. Nishi was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Indira Paz Graniel was supported of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN) granted to I. P.-G. (FPU 17/01925). None of the funding sources played a role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.