Not enough
children and teens drink low-fat milk, a new report from the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals.
Drinking milk is important for children's bone health, but
CDC experts advise that although young people need the
calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients found in milk,
children aged 2 and older should consume low-fat milk and
milk products to avoid unnecessary fat and calories.
The research, published in a CDC report titled "Low-fat Milk
Consumption Among Children and Adolescents in the United
States, 2007-2008," showed that about 73 percent of
children and teens drink milk, but only about 20 percent of
them say they usually drink low-fat milk (skim or 1
percent).
Meanwhile, the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey also revealed that about 45 percent
drink reduced-fat milk (2 percent) and 32 percent reported
they drink whole milk regularly.
Older children and teens drink low-fat milk more often than
younger children. Although 13 percent of kids aged 2 to 5
usually drink low-fat milk, 21 percent of kids aged 6 to 11
years said they do, along with 23 percent of teens aged 12
to 19.
Ethnicity and income also seem to play a role in the type of
milk children consume. White children drink low-fat milk
more often than black or Hispanic children. About 28
percent of the white participants said low-fat milk was their
usual milk type, compared to just 5 percent of blacks and 10
percent of Hispanics. Meanwhile, children and teens in the
highest income category reported drinking low-fat milk
more often than those in the lowest income group.
In summary, the authors of the report wrote: "The overall
low consumption of low-fat milk suggests the majority of
children and adolescents do not adhere to
recommendations by Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
2010 and the American Academy of Pediatrics for all
children aged 2 years and over to drink low-fat milk.
Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama's 'Lets Move!'
campaign and 'The Surgeon Generals Vision for a Healthy
and Fit Nation 2010' have recommended promoting water
and low-fat milk and reducing sugar-sweetened beverages
as components of comprehensive obesity prevention
strategies."