Overdosing on dairy

Obviously, I’m all for nutrition research. But every once in a while, I come across a study and think, Come on. Is this really helpful?

This week, I was rolling my eyes at a new study about dairy and weight loss. Australian researchers found that people who ate five servings of dairy a day, in the form of yogurt, milk and/or cheese, lost more weight and burned more fat than people who consumed just three servings of dairy (both groups followed a low-calorie diet).

Researchers have long known that something in dairy–whether it’s the calcium, a fatty acid called conjugated lineleic acid, or some other unidentified substance–helps people shed pounds and keep them off. In fact, some studies have even shown that even full-fat dairy aids weight loss.

But five servings of dairy? Really? That seems like a ton to me, especially if you’re sticking to 1,200 calories or so a day. Even fat-free dairy (think a yogurt or skim milk) comes in close to 100 calories per serving, which means you’ll spend almost half of your day’s calories downing dairy. That’s got to get old, and fast. But maybe I’m missing something. Do you consume this much dairy? If so, do you think it helps you stay slender and healthy? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

–Camille