Sugar Vs. Vitamins Debate Over Chocolate Milk
In some arguments, opponents can agree to differ but with an issue as important as children's nutrition and lifelong health, it is harder, and more important, to reach a consensus.
School administrators in Barrington, Illinois decided a year ago that elementary and middle-school students should drink unflavored milk with their lunches and banned sweetened chocolate milk from the menu. Many of those students disagreed and simply stopped drinking milk. Finally they persuaded the powers that be to re-consider. As Haley Morris, the ten year old who had gathered petition signatures asking for the return of flavored milk, put it, "It's better to have the chocolate milk than nothing."
While debating whether the merits of getting calcium and Vitamin D into children outweighs the harm they might suffer from swallowing it with some three teaspoons of sugar per half-pint, the flavored version is back on the menu for Fridays only.
Barrington is not alone with its dilemma. So many school districts are holding similar debates over chocolate milk that the dairy industry has invested "upward of $1 million to defend the drink," according to the Chicago Tribune. Describing it as a "classic" school lunch drink, the paper says the Milk Processor Education Program, a trade group for the dairy industry, believes its healthy attributes need to be promoted.
There is little argument about milk's benefits for children but there are doubts as to whether they will get those benefits if deprived of a chocolate version. Vivien Godfrey, the milk trade group's chief executive, insists "if kids don't care for [the taste of plain milk], they won't actually drink it."
On the other hand, research by Marlene Schwartz of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, found that "young children drank it (milk) happily" at preschools offering a federally funded program. "Schools should not presume that children will shun no-frills milk," she concluded.
Compromises include fat-free chocolate milk and Barrington's once-a-week solution. Ms. Morris and her young friends also pointed out the alternative for many kids was fruit juice and Gatorade, which also have relatively high sugar content.
Dr. Frank Greer, former chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' nutrition committee, also somewhat agreed.
"Flavored milk has more calories from the sweeteners that are in it. There's no getting around that," Dr. Greer told the Trib. "It is an uncomfortable position to be in when you're asked this question. I say it comes down to too many calories or, well, it's better than other things in the soda machine."
Discussion Questions: Should chocolate milk be banned from schools? What guidelines should be used to determine what should and shouldn't be removed from cafeteria menus? How does cafeteria food impact end-demand for products at retail?
[Author's commentary] Part of the problem may be trying to take away what the children are used to. If they've had flavored milk at home, or at school, unflavored milk becomes an unpopular alternative. But there seems little likelihood of persuading parents not to introduce it in the first place. And just think how much the industry would spend fighting that one.