Grant: Operating Grant: SPOR Innovative Clinical Trial Multi-Year Grant

Childhood obesity is a looming healthcare crisis with 1 in 3 Canadian children now living with overweight or obesity. The long term consequences of childhood obesity include increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke which reduce quality of life and longevity. Cardiovascular disease currently costs Canada's health systems $7 billion annually and is forecasted to triple in the next 30 years. Since 1992 Health Canada has recommended that children older than 2 years consume reduced fat milk (i.e. 1% milk fat) rather than whole milk (3.25% milk fat) to prevent childhood obesity. Unfortunately, childhood obesity has tripled since then and whole cow's milk intake has halved leading many to wonder whether the reduction in whole milk consumption is leading to childhood obesity. New research from our group and others supports that reduced milk fat intake early in life may be promoting rather than preventing childhood obesity. Although several biological mechanisms have been proposed, the leading theory is that children may feel more 'full' after consuming whole milk and less likely to seek calories from unhealthy foods. This innovative clinical trial will compare the effect of primary healthcare recommendation for whole milk (intervention) vs. reduced fat milk (control) in early childhood in optimizing childhood growth development and nutrition at 4-5 years of age. We will use new cohort trial methods leveraging Canada's largest childhood cohort study (TARGet Kids!) to conduct this trial which will minimize cost and maximize feasibility. This trial must be conducted now to ensure that primary healthcare providers are delivering the correct nutritional recommendation and to protect the next generation of Canada's children from the long term consequences of childhood obesity.