Schools may ban chocolate milk

[big dog cowboy]

Schools may ban chocolate milk over added sugar

Mon, May 09, 2011
AP

Chocolate milk has long been seen as the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down, but the nation's childhood obesity epidemic has a growing number of people wondering whether that's wise.

With schools under increasing pressure to offer healthier food, the staple on children's cafeteria trays has come under attack over the very ingredient that made it so popular — sugar.

Some school districts have gone as far as prohibiting flavored milk, and Florida considered a statewide ban in schools. Other districts have sought a middle ground by replacing flavored milks containing high-fructose corn syrup with versions containing sugar, which some see as a more natural sweetener.

Los Angeles Unified, the nation's second-largest school district, is the latest district to tackle the issue. Superintendent John Deasy recently announced he would push this summer to remove chocolate and strawberry milk from school menus.

But nutritionists — and parents — are split over whether bans make sense, especially when about 70 percent of milk consumed in schools is flavored, mostly chocolate, according to the industry-backed Milk Processors Education Program.

Many, including the School Nutrition Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, and National Medical Association, argue that the nutritional value of flavored low-fat or skim milk outweighs the harm of added sugar. Milk contains nine essential nutrients including calcium, vitamin D and protein.

Read much more: http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_food_and_farm_chocolate_milk

 

[casmith07]

Madness.

Are they talking about the chocolate milk that came in a bag?

 

[theogt]

Childhood obesity epidemic? What a crock.

 

[bbgun]

The Nanny State strikes again.

 

[CATCH17]

I think they should actually seek the advice of a legit nutritionist before doing something incredibly stupid.

Going over your calorie maintenance can be caused by any food. If you go over your calories and don't get enough exercise than youll be fat.

It doesn't matter if your calories come from a Snickers candy bar or apples. Too many calories is too many calories.

 

[Hoofbite]

Childhood obesity epidemic? What a crock.

This was on the new PZ forum the other day.

And the word "epidemic" is probably an exaggeration but the fact that obesity is getting out of control is not.

 

[MonsterD]

This was on the new PZ forum the other day.

And the word "epidemic" is probably an exaggeration but the fact that obesity is getting out of control is not.

Yeah how is it a crock? Kids are fatter now, plain fact.

 

[YosemiteSam]

My kids schools allows only low-fat chocolate milk. They are not even allowed to bring any junk food like potato chips, candy, etc. If they do it gets taken away and note sent home to the parents telling them it isn't allowed. :laugh2:

 

[burmafrd]

If you happen to drive past an elementary school during recess; stop and count the number of fat pre teens you see. You will find it is about one third to one half of any class. Sounds like an epidemic to me.

 

[Doomsday101]

If you happen to drive past an elementary school during recess; stop and count the number of fat pre teens you see. You will find it is about one third to one half of any class. Sounds like an epidemic to me.

Instead of worry about the food how about they stop banning certain recess activities. Get the kids active

 

[Yeagermeister]

Yeah it's the chocolate milk that is making kids fat.

 

[CowboyDan]

In before the lock

 

[VietCowboy]

I do like the idea that all milk should be low fat in the schools. I do agree there is an EPIDEMIC, contrary to what some in this thread may think. The burden of obesity has already crippled our health care system, and it will only get worse. There has been an increasing boon in bariatric medicine. The number of kids with type - 2 diabetes has been exponentially increasing (# of kids obese has tripled since 1980). The chances of you being obese as an adult if you are obese as a child is extremely high (the odds ratio has been shown to be as high as 16x!) The amount of time kids today spend in front of the TV and computer is utterly mindblowing compared to even just 10 years ago.

1 out of 3 adults are OBESE, not even overweight, but OBESE. That number is expected to climb to just over 40% in 40 years, when our kids are in their middle adulthood.

So you still don't think there's an epidemic? Fine, but it doesn't take a genius to know there's a serious problem with our youth's health and weight these days.

 

[Doomsday101]

I do like the idea that all milk should be low fat in the schools. I do agree there is an EPIDEMIC, contrary to what some in this thread may think. The burden of obesity has already crippled our health care system, and it will only get worse. There has been an increasing boon in bariatric medicine. The number of kids with type - 2 diabetes has been exponentially increasing (# of kids obese has tripled since 1980). The chances of you being obese as an adult if you are obese as a child is extremely high (the odds ratio has been shown to be as high as 16x!) The amount of time kids today spend in front of the TV and computer is utterly mindblowing compared to even just 10 years ago.

1 out of 3 adults are OBESE, not even overweight, but OBESE. That number is expected to climb to just over 40% in 40 years, when our kids are in their middle adulthood.

So you still don't think there's an epidemic? Fine, but it doesn't take a genius to know there's a serious problem with our youth's health and weight these days.

Your right it is called lazy parents raising lazy kids, get out of the house and play instead of sitting inside playing video games.

 

[daschoo]

This was on the new PZ forum the other day.

And the word "epidemic" is probably an exaggeration but the fact that obesity is getting out of control is not.

?????

 

[theogt]

I do like the idea that all milk should be low fat in the schools. I do agree there is an EPIDEMIC, contrary to what some in this thread may think. The burden of obesity has already crippled our health care system, and it will only get worse. There has been an increasing boon in bariatric medicine. The number of kids with type - 2 diabetes has been exponentially increasing (# of kids obese has tripled since 1980). The chances of you being obese as an adult if you are obese as a child is extremely high (the odds ratio has been shown to be as high as 16x!) The amount of time kids today spend in front of the TV and computer is utterly mindblowing compared to even just 10 years ago.

1 out of 3 adults are OBESE, not even overweight, but OBESE. That number is expected to climb to just over 40% in 40 years, when our kids are in their middle adulthood.

So you still don't think there's an epidemic? Fine, but it doesn't take a genius to know there's a serious problem with our youth's health and weight these days.

Actually, it hasn't. Studies show that diseases "related" (I use that term VERY loosely) to obesity account for only a minimal amount of the additional health care expenditures in the US as compared to other developed nations.

The concern about being overweight is about not looking pretty, but people will disguise it as a major health concern or "epidemic" so that they sound less conceited.

I absolutely LOVE these studies about how kids are becoming obese. Here's a snippet from one:

Disturbing trends also were seen in the number of children who had a body-mass index higher than 85% of their peers. In 1986, about 20% of blacks, Hispanics and whites alike were in that category. By 1998, those figures had risen to about 38% of blacks and Hispanics alike and nearly 29% of whites.

Yes, 38% of blacks and Hispanics have higher BMI's than 85% of their peers.

Math fail.

 

[theogt]

1 out of 3 adults are OBESE, not even overweight, but OBESE. That number is expected to climb to just over 40% in 40 years, when our kids are in their middle adulthood.

If you're 5'9" and 205 lbs. you're considered obese. Not overweight. OBESE. Oh, and by the way, 5'9" and 180 lbs is still considered OVERWEIGHT.

The only epidemic is rampant stupidity.

My advice is enjoy life in moderation and stop the incessant worrying about appearances.

 

[vta]

The only epidemic is rampant stupidity.

My advice is enjoy life in moderation and stop the incessant worrying about appearances.

:clap2:

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

The funny thing is...everyone says eat healthier....eat lower fat meat. Eat more organic food. The sad thing is all of these things are more expensive....sometimes 50-100% more expensive than the alternative. In a time when so many people are struggling with money, it's no wonder that a lot of people can't afford the healthier items.

Secondly, as many have said, the bigger issue isn't the food that we eat, it's the lack of activity our kids get. When I was a high school kid, I watched maybe and hour or two of TV a day. After school I either was involved in a sport at the school, or me and my friends were outside, running around, playing football, kill the carrier, stickball, building forts, exploring. My parents didn't see me till dinner time. Nowadays for most kids it's straight home to the X-box for 8 hours a day.

Control your caloric intake, get some exercise and the obesity epidemic would get curbed in a hurry.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

If you're 5'9" and 205 lbs. you're considered obese. Not overweight. OBESE. Oh, and by the way, 5'9" and 180 lbs is still considered OVERWEIGHT.

The only epidemic is rampant stupidity.

My advice is enjoy life in moderation and stop the incessant worrying about appearances.

Without knowledge of the body fat, you are incorrect in blanketly saying someone 5'9" and 205 is obese. Was Barry Sanders obese? I understand the generalization though.