Association of calcium intake, dairy product consumption with overweight status in young adults (1995-1996): the Bogalusa Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between calcium intake and dairy product consumption with overweight and obesity in young adults. METHODS The sample used in this study consisted of 1306 young adults, ages 19-38 years, who participated in the 1995-1996 young adult survey. Analysis was performed with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for ethnicity-gender groups separately. RESULTS No significant association was found between dairy product consumption, calcium intake and overweight, defined by body mass index or waist circumference. However, there was a significant inverse association between calcium intake, low-fat dairy product consumption and waist-to-hip ratio in white males. CONCLUSION Increasing intake of calcium and low-fat dairy products may be associated with lower abdominal adiposity, particularly in young adult white males.