CLA May Curb Obese Kids Weight Gain

MADISON, Wis.Supplements containing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may help overweight and obese children reduce the amount of fat they gain over time, according to a new study from the University of WisconsinMadison.

Researchers studied 62 overweight or obese children between the ages of 6 and 10 who were randomly assigned a CLA (as Clarinol® CLA, from Lipid Nutrition) or placebo mixture once a day for seven months. Children on the CLA supplement showed a small decrease in the percentage of their total body weight that was fat; children in the placebo group showed a gain, of 1.3 percent versus a decline of 0.5 percent in the CLA group. Children on CLA also had a smaller BMI gain than those on the placebo; however, the gains in both groups were still higher than what would be expected for the typical child in the same age group.

Children on the CLA supplement also showed a reduction in heart-healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by five points, on average, and a smaller rate of bone mass accumulation. The findings,  published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest while CLA might help slow body fat gain, its overall safety and effectiveness for children needs to be studied further.

Childhood obesity is a big problem associated with a large array of health problems later in life, said Alfred Haandrikman, R&D director for Lipid Nutrition. This first study looking into the application of CLA as food ingredients for children shows a promising effect to reduce body fat and increase lean body mass, and therefore has an enormous promise in improving the health of children.