Evidence is emerging that dietary calcium, particularly from dairy foods, may alter the way fat cells function and a high-calcium intake seems to offer protection against excess body weight and fat gain in adults and children alike.

An association between calcium and body weight was first noted about 20 years ago - somewhat by accident. A clinical trial investigating the effects of calcium on blood pressure amongst obese African-Americans, found that those whose diets were supplemented with two cups of yogurt a day lost 4.9kg body fat in a year!

In 2000, these findings prompted a re-examination of data from previous investigations to discover whether calcium had a real ink with changes in body weight. Over the course of a two year study the researchers looked back over 12 years of research. A total of 780 women, aged 20 to 70, were examined. They also investigated the effects of calcium intake on changes in body composition in women aged 18 to 31.Thirty-two obese women were fed one of three different low-energy diets (500 calories lower than estimated daily energy needs) for twenty-four weeks.