ABSTRACT
In recent decades, the prevalence of obesity, including abdominal obesity (AO), has significantly increased among adolescents [1]. These findings are alarming, in view of the fact that AO is an independent risk factor for insulin resistance, hyperinsulinaemia, dyslipidemia and hypertension in youth [2]. Despite the upward trend in obesity, there is still a lack of knowledge of the factors associated with AO in adolescents. It has been reported that diet and physical activity (PA) play an important role in the prevention of AO [3, 4]. Several observational and prospective studies have suggested that milk or milk product intake is associated with lower risk of excessive adiposity in children, adolescents and adults [5-7]. The weight of evidence suggests that milk intake is more likely to be associated with beneficial weight and body fat than other milk products such as
yogurt or cheese [8]. It has been suggested that milk is rich in bioactive peptides (whereas other milk products contain little or no such substances) that may modulate body fat accumulation [9, 10]. On the other hand, other studies have found a positive [11] or null association [12] of milk intake with adiposity.
