From the book The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan, page 75

A recent study adds the metablolic syndrome (also known as insulin resistance syndrome) to the list of health problems that dairy products may protect against. Researchers who examined the eating habits of more than 3,000 men and women found that overweight people who consumed the most dairy products were about 70 percent less likely to develop metabolic symdrome than were people who consumed few dairy products. Each additional daily serving of dairy was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of developing the syndrom over the ten-year study period. People who ate plenty of dairy products were also less likely to gain unwantd pounds over the duration of the study.
How might dairy products offer this protection? The carbohydrate in milk (lactose) is slowly absorbed, which helps control blood sugar and insulin levels. The protein in milk helps fill you up, which may help keep your weight in check. In addition, the calcium, potassium, and magnesium in dairy foods likely play a role in preventing insulin resistance. In fact, a major study found that adding two servings of low-fat dairy products to the daily diet boosted the blood pressure lowering benefits of a healthy high-fiber diet.
Dietary trends over the past several decades show that people are substituting more sodas and processed snack foods for dairy products like milk and yogurt. Experts believe that this change in dietary pattern may play a role in the dramatic upsurege of obesity and insulin resistance syndrome seen in recent years.

I am thinking this is good reason to make sure our little ones who are running the path behind us, have every advantage to get the healthy snacks they need... I have talks with my grand daughter about eating healthy foods...She loves yogurt and fruit snacks. and will choose fruit over candy any day of the week... Her taste buds are condtioned to enjoy real food, and on occassion I have seen her scrap off the frosting of a cup cake. She says it doesn't taste good... I'm inclined to believe that when given the choice of real food or fake food, we will choose real food everytime...It is so easy to get addicted to chemicals... The integrity of the food sellers count on people to eat unconsiously... They more we refuse to buy the junk, the more choices for good food will happen. I love a cool cup of yogurt with fresh blueberries. Once I detoxed from the sugar track, I discovered just how sensitive the taste buds could be and the flavors that were no longer masked or destroyed by additive sweettooth habits... I am enjoying the material this book covers... I think following the points it offers while I plan my meals is one large reason I am reversing my numbers... Bon Apetite...