Food Police: Milk is Unhealthy for Kids

Townhall.com ^ | 04/21/04 | Mike Burita

[TXBubba]

Food Police: Milk Is Unhealthy for Kids

Soon-to-be-Released Vending-Machine Report Is Latest Baseless Assault Against Soft Drinks

Washington, DC – Attention parents and teachers! The food police have added whole and two-percent milk to the list of "poor nutritional quality" beverages in their crosshairs, recommending that they be removed from American's schools. This and other ridiculous assertions are contained in a report being circulated by the self-described "food police" at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The draft report, rumored to be released this month, bears the name of CSPI's activist coalition, the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA). NANA is part of an anti-soda crusade which advocates taxing sodas and restricting their availability in order to eliminate fizzy drinks from the diets of both children and adults.

"Anyone who would suggest that milk is unhealthy for kids is out to lunch," said Richard Berman, executive director of the Center for Consumer Freedom. "CSPI once boasted that it was ‘proud about finding something wrong with practically everything.' Now it's proven it."

The report concludes that school districts and local, state and federal governments should banish beverages and snacks that CSPI claims are contributing to the nation's obesity. But evidence linking childhood obesity to sodas and snacks is utterly lacking.

Suggesting a causal link between soda consumption and childhood obesity, the CSPI/NANA report relies solely on a flawed study by Harvard University researcher and "fat tax" advocate David Ludwig. Ludwig admitted in his own conclusion that, "there is no clear evidence that consumption of sugar per se ... causes obesity." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention echoed Ludwig's conclusion: "There are no data from the Harvard study that allow us to make an estimate of what proportion of obesity might be accounted for by changes in soft drink consumption."

This is not the first time the anti-soda movement has relied on faulty science to make their case. In 1998 CSPI issued a report titled "Liquid Candy," which claimed that some teenagers get up to 25 percent of their calories from soda. Just one week later, following massive media attention, CSPI admitted that it had overstated this figure by a whopping 100 percent. In fact, American boys drink less than half the amount of soft drinks initially claimed by CSPI. While CSPI quietly made a correction (after the media fracas died down), it still heavily promotes its "Liquid Candy" report.

"NANA should rename itself NANNY," added Mr. Berman. "Nagging Americans with a finger-wagging ‘no no' won't shrink anyone's waistline. This is just another attempt by CSPI's Puritans to restrict foods they don't like. And as usual, there's no science in the public interest to back them up."

The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices.

[cyborg]

I can't speak about Asia, but in rural Africa almost everyone drinks goat's milk. The rest of the Mediterranean USED to be the same way. I'd watch out for those message boards too. Some of those PETA types can get nasty.

[doug9732]

I get organic milk in my local supermarket. It currently sells for $3.49 per half-gallon.
Organic milk ias not raw milk; it is pasteurized the same as commercial milk. It is also allergenic like commerical milk, but at least it doesn't have those darn growth hormones!

[little jeremiah]

It's also good for humans. I've read all the vegan literature and it's crap.

Milk can sustain human life for a considerable time, if need be.

[RolandBurnam]

mmmm growth hormones. mmm.

you guys are nuts. is cheese ok to eat? or do I need to do the all tofu diet?

[Guillermo]

If you like it, drink it.

I just know it doesn't work for me.

[little jeremiah]

Well, if cows were milked and raised a bit more humanely, not given antibiotics routinely, let outside to graze, and not given bovine growth hormone, milk would be much more digestible and healthy.

Ever had milk from an actual cow, that day?

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

"there is no clear evidence that consumption of sugar per se ... causes obesity."

This is probably one of the most ignorant statements I have ever seen in print.

How so? There's nothing magic about sugar. The problem lies in the sugar calories consumed versus calories burned. Kids are scarfing down calories in the form that appeals to them most (sweet foods & drinks), but aren't physically active enough to balance the intake.

[SamAdams76]

I never liked milk but I was forced to drink it as a child. It always made me bloated and gassy and I find the taste horrible. As an adult, I happily avoid milk altogether.

Though I do use cream in my coffee. Not that half and half junk but real cream whenever I can get it. For some reason, cream (as well as yogurt, butter and cheese) are very palatable to me. It's milk I can't tolerate, including cottage cheese. For some reason, I cannot stand cottage cheese either.

[little jeremiah]

An interesting milk factoid from Ayurveda is that in order to be digestible (unless within an hour of coming from the cow) milk needs to be boiled and preferably drunk warm. I can't handle cold milk at all, but boiled is totally digestible. Hardly anyone knows this though.

Also, homogenized milk is considered a lot harder to digest. I went on a no-milk regimen for at least a year to try to eradicate some health difficulties (no milk, cheese, hardly any butter) and felt like sh*t. Wasn't any better, in fact soy milk (which I substituted) is REALLY hard to digest, although the Vitasoy Vanilla tastes good!

[FReepaholic]

>>...Who would've thought that cow's milk was the root of all that is evil in this world? That certainly seems to be what this website is suggesting....<<

I agree. However, I did find it interesting about the pus. I had no idea I was drinking that.

[discostu]

Milk isn't the universal friend some like to make it out to be. Homgenized milk is a pretty new concept and not all people have made the evolutionary changes necessary to make it a part of their life, these people tend to have reactions similar to yours. People that have any kind of throat condition (like my own chronic bronchitis) have a whole different set of problems with milk. Others can drink gallons of it with no problem.

As for why you can't stand cottage cheese that's easy: it's disgusting. I only know one person that likes cottage cheese and he's a freak of nature that eats all kinds of nasty junk. I've never figured out why we punish people on diets by pushing cottage cheese at them, these people are trying to improve their life we should do something nice for them like throw the cottage cheese away so they won't have to look at it.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

I agree. However, I did find it interesting about the pus. I had no idea I was drinking that.

You still need to be careful about what you read from these folks. By referring to "pus" counts, they want to conjure in your mind the image of squeezing boils into your milk. (Yuck!)

They are being deliberately misleading. The standards are actually referring to white blood cell counts. White blood cells certainly are a component of pus, but that's not the only place you'll find them.

[little jeremiah]

I really miss the small dairies. When I was a kid (early 50s) we got milk in glass bottles left on the doorstep from a local dairy. Neighbors up the road had a few cows, and when I ate dinner there - I can still remember the smell from the raw milk and the homemade butter! Plus I loved playing in the barn.

Huge agribusiness takes the heart out of a lot of farming. I suppose there are good reasons for it, but farming is an honorable (and hard) way to earn a living, and food is peoples' basic need in life!

[correctthought]

That settles it, I'm gonna feed my kids rum and cokes or good o'le Irish whiskey.

[Just another Joe]

ATTENTION: It has been proven statistically that breathing causes cancer. Please refrain from any further breathing!
Thank you.

Center for Science in the Public Interest

[Fresh Wind]

I would say water but we all know how dangerous THAT can be!

You can say that again! Water is just loaded with dihydrogen monoxide! Too much of that is always fatal.

[Just another Joe]

As for why you can't stand cottage cheese that's easy: it's disgusting.

Cottage cheese is good if you put enough pancake syrup on it.
My grandfather taught me that. Wise man...

[Redcoat LI]

soy milk.

That even sounds nasty.

[FeliciaCat]

I loved milk as a kid...as soon as I hit about 15 or 16 I couldnt tolerate it anymore..also as soon as I quite drinking it my skin cleared up! I rarely drink it now and if I do, its in cereal or tea only.