The study, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, found that by getting the residents of the town to increase calcium intake and take 10,000 steps per day, significant weight loss was possible.

"The best way to tackle the obesity problem in this country is by changing one community at a time," study co-author James O. Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition in Denver, said in a statement. "We were able to improve overall health simply by getting adults moving and changing eating habits to include more low-fat or fat free milk and other milk products, a model that can certainly apply to other Americans."

The l99 men and women of the small, rural community were asked by nutrition counselors and through group classes to overhaul their health habits. At the end of the 16-week program, the 116 participants who completed the program lost an average of 13.2 pounds each.

Nutrition studies have suggested three servings of low-fat or fat free milk a day can help maintain a healthy weight, Hill said.