THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS
February 2009
DAIRY CHECKOFF UPDATE View PDF
Study Shows Teens with Higher Dairy Intake Have Lower Body Fat
A new study, funded by the National Dairy Council® (NDC), the nutrition research and education arm of the national dairy checkoff, found a connection between higher dairy intake and lower body fat levels among adolescents. This study further positions dairy’s role as part of a healthy diet and reinforces the commitment by dairy producers to help improve children’s health and wellness.
The study, released in the December 2008 Journal of American College of Nutrition, examined dairy consumption and body fat among more than 10,000 U.S. children and adolescents using data from two of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) and found that a low dairy intake among 12- to 16 -year-olds — less than one serving per day for girls and less than 2 servings per day for boys — was associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) and greater body fat. Additionally, similar results were seen when examining total calcium intake in relation to body fat among the same age range. However, among younger children, ages 5 —11, there was no consistent association between dairy or calcium intake and body fat levels.
“Encouraging kids to eat three servings of low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese or yogurt each day, in accordance with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is an easy way to help them build and maintain strong, healthy bones, muscles and teeth,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, a registered dietitian and senior vice president of nutrition affairs for the NDC. “Children’s nutrition remains a top priority for the dairy checkoff. At a time when childhood obesity is one of our most urgent health concerns, it is critical to work to help improve children’s health by educating and collaborating with health professionals, parents and others to ensure that our nation’s youth reap the health benefits of dairy’s unique package of nine essential nutrients.”
In addition to working with health professional partners, checkoff staffs also are communicating the study results to national and local health and nutrition reporters to help educate the public of the study’s findings.
For more information, visit www.nationaldairycouncil.org.
Nutrition Award Winners Recognize School Milk Sales and Innovation
Providing students milk in plastic, re-sealable bottles helps the dairy checkoff increase milk consumption and build lifelong dairy consumers. That’s why dairy producers, through their investment, have teamed up with Dairy Foods magazine for the fourth straight year to sponsor the annual Leadership in School Nutrition (LISN) Awards. The LISN awards acknowledge and promote positive partnerships between dairy processors and schools through innovations in milk programs that use kid-appealing, plastic bottles, nationally known as the New Look of School Milk (NLSM).
This year’s LISN grand prize winners were South-Western City School District of Grove City, Ohio, and H. Meyer Dairy of Cincinnati, Ohio. Each organization received $5,000 to be used toward future school nutrition efforts.
Since the decision was made to replace cartons with plastic bottles on all meal lines, milk sales have increased 6 percent in the first year of South-Western’s program. Equally significant is the district’s “Healthier Generation and Greener Community” recycling program — a partnership with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio to recycle the highly demanded #2 plastic bottles throughout the district. It is estimated that 88 tons of plastic will be recycled each school year.
Two other school districts and dairy processors were recognized for their partnerships. Second place LISN winners were Flatonia Independent School District of Flatonia, Texas, and Borden Milk Products LP of Austin, Texas. Based on a survey indicating that 75 percent of students were skipping dinner or breakfast meals, the school district addressed this issue with a universal breakfast program where milk consumption increased 125 percent. Each organization received $2,000.
Third place winners were Evanston Township High School District 202 of Evanston, Ill., and Kemps Dairy of Chicago, Ill. This district has been serving milk in plastic bottles since 2004 and has expanded the NLSM to 18 districts in the area. Along with expansion, recycling the plastic bottles and promotions including “Free Pint Friday” gained student interest and increased participation. Each organization received $1,000.
To date, nearly 11,000 schools nationwide participate in the checkoff-funded NLSM program, reaching more than 6 million students with single-serve milk on the school meal line, a la carte and through milk vending. For more information, visit www.nutritionexplorations.org or www.dairycheckoff.com.