Ten things about weight loss: Part 7

...and the next lesson to be learned about weight loss:

8. Low fat dairy helps you excrete more fat

The programme rightly said that when we go on a diet, dairy products such as cheese, butter and milk are often the first things we 'give up'. However, this is not necessarily the best move. All of these dairy products contain calcium - vital for the healthy growth and maintenance of our bones, hair and nails, and even more important for middle aged women to avoid osteoporosis in later life.

The calcium in these foods, when it reaches the small intestine, binds to fat molecules that have come from our food and turn this fat into a thick, soap-like substance that cannot be absorbed. Anything that cannot be absorbed into the body is simply removed as a waste product. So, when we eat calcium-rich foods, the calcium means less fat is absorbed and more of it simply gets excreted. This means it does not end up on our hips!

In the programme, a diary farmer called Alex, takes part in an experiment. During one week he eats a diet containing very little dairy food. In week two he includes quite a lot of low fat dairy food in his diet. In both weeks he eats an identical calorie and fat content. Then, his faeces is analysed for fat content. The results showed that in week one, his faeces contained 1.5g fat per 100g of faeces. In week two, the figure was 3.09g/100g. This means that the addition of low fat dairy to the diet resulted in the excretion of twice as much fat - that's all fat that is not being absorbed by the body and being added to our fat stores.

So, low fat dairy is food for weight loss. Example of good food types include low fat creme fraiche, cottage cheese, low fat yoghurt and skimmed milk. Now, I have been a little concerned about the lack of calcium in my diet for some time. Calcium is particularly important for middle-aged women and helps stave off diseases like osteoporosis. To address this in part, I take a calcium supplement every day (in the form of chewable tablets from Boots the Chemists). However, I also try to consume some low fat dairy every day too. Most mornings I have some soya milk with my breakfast cereal. I also have a low fat yoghurt most evenings after my dinner (either Muller Light or Weight Watchers). Most days, however, that is all. I occasionally have some cottage cheese or Philadelphia Light with my lunch and occasionally have a low fat creamed rice.

We shouldn't forget too, that many other foods contain moderate portions of calcium (content in mg per 100g):

Dried skimmed milk - 1277
Whitebait - 860
Cheddar cheese - 810
Sardines - 409
Fresh milk - 120
Tinned salmon - 66
Cabbage - 65
Turnip - 59
Eggs - 56

So, the message seems to be - don't cut out the dairy. Look at it like this - you may not be fond of spiders, but they kill flies that spread diseases........ think of the spider as the dairy (low fat, of course) and the flies as body fat. Dairy is good!