Author Interviews, Diabetes, Weight Research / 15.09.2017
Low-Fat Dairy Products Linked To Decreased Abdominal Fat, Increased Lean Body Mass
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr Nita Forouhi, MRCP, PhD, FFPHM
Programme Lead & Consultant Public Health Physician
MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine
Institute of Metabolic Science
Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Past research has shown a beneficial link between some dairy products and risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Body composition (total fat and lean mass) has been suggested as one pathway for the link, but the distribution of body fat and lean mass in relation to dairy consumption is not well studied. Based on this research gap, we aimed to investigate associations between types of dairy consumption and markers of body fat and lean mass distribution including: peripheral fat, the ratio of visceral (fat that surrounds the body organs) to abdominal subcutaneous fat (fat that accumulates under the skin) and appendicular lean mass (i.e., in the limbs).
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