|
|
|
 |
|
Sign
up for the NDC Update for the latest dairy nutrition news, fast facts,
free tools for patients, expert nutrition advice and information on updated
dairy nutrition resources.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Nutrition & Product Information
Calcium Summit II
Getting to the Root of the Problem: Our Challenges Ahead
Moderator: Gregory D. Miller, Ph.D., F.A.C.N
Senior Vice President, Nutrition and Scientific Affairs
National Dairy Council
Effective solutions to the calcium crisis cannot be reached without first understanding the root cause of the problem. A low calcium intake is a marker for a poor dietary pattern. As such, solving the calcium crisis takes a commitment to changing overall dietary behavior. A quick fix such as nutrient fortification is not the sole answer. Fortification treats the symptom of low calcium intake, but does not address the real problem, which is a poor dietary pattern. The ideal way to increase calcium intake is through a varied diet based on a pattern consistent with the Food Guide Pyramid (2, 3). This session reviewed children's dietary intakes, mothers' influence on children's dietary choices, and overcoming misinformation about milk in the media.
A Closer Look at What Kids Are Eating and Drinking Today
Duane Alexander, M.D.
Director, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
When daily food intakes of children aged 2 to 19 years were compared with USDA's Food Guide Pyramid (2), only 2% of children met all the Pyramid recommendations and only 10% met the recommendations for four or more food groups (4, 5). Slightly more than half (54%) of males and females consumed 2 to 3 servings of dairy foods/day (5). Only 1 in 5 (22%) teenage girls consumed the recommended number of servings of foods from the dairy group.
An examination of food sources of various dietary components for U.S. children found that milk alone provided more than half (51.5%) of the dietary calcium consumed, and cheese added another 14% (6). Without including milk in the diet, it is nearly impossible to meet calcium needs from the diet. Only 13.5% of females and 36.3% of males aged 12 to 19 met the 1989 dietary recommendation for calcium (7). The importance of increasing calcium intake is addressed in the U.S. Public Health Services' Healthy People 2010, which includes the goal of increasing calcium consumption so that at least 75% of all persons aged 2 years and over meet dietary recommendations for this nutrient (8).
Awareness of the calcium crisis, particularly for adolescent girls whose needs are highest (9), led the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to initiate a public information campaign called "Milk Matters" (10). This campaign is designed to educate health professionals, parents, and children about the importance of consuming adequate calcium intake, preferably from milk and other milk products, to protect bone health.
Mothers, by serving as role models, can help shape children's beverage choices, calcium intake, and future risk of osteoporosis.
The Impact of Mom and the Mirror: How Role Modeling and Body Image Determine Dietary Choices
Leann Birch, Ph.D.
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Professor of Nutritional Sciences
Head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Pennsylvania State University
The marked decline in girls' milk and dairy intake between middle childhood and adolescence may be explained in part by their mothers' eating behaviors and selection of beverages.
Mothers and their young daughters share similar patterns of milk intakes (11). A recent study found that mothers who drink milk more often have daughters who drink milk more frequently and who consume fewer soft drinks (11). For both mothers and their daughters, intake of soft drinks is linked to low intake of milk and calcium.
Mothers, by making milk available at meals and snacks, and by modeling, such as drinking milk, can positively influence their daughters' milk and calcium intakes. Preliminary data indicate that these maternal behaviors may also increase daughters' bone mineral content and density.
Mothers' weight concerns, dieting practices, and disinhibited (i.e., lack of control or overeating) eating are being transmitted to their daughters, which in turn may affect their daughters' calcium and bone mineral status. Awareness of dieting occurs as early as 5 years of age and is influenced by mothers' weight control behaviors (12). Mothers and daughters (especially by adolescence) show similar levels of dietary restraint, dietary disinhibition, and weight concerns (13,14). Among peri-pubertal girls and young women, dietary restraint is negatively related to bone mineral content and measures of bone status (15,16).
Udder Nonsense: Overcoming Myths and Mixed Messages About Milk in the Media
Jeanne Goldberg, Ph.D., R.D.
Professor of Nutrition and Director, Center on Nutrition Communication
School of Nutrition Science and Policy Tufts University
Milk has been the victim of irresponsible reporting and distortion of the science. Special interest groups, in an effort to discourage intake of milk and other dairy products, claim that milk causes a number of diseases and disorders. Critical examination of the scientific evidence fails to support these claims (17). At present, there is no persuasive evidence to demonstrate a relationship between cow's milk consumption at one year of age and the development of Type 1 diabetes (18). Likewise, evidence for a role of cow's milk as a risk factor for prostate cancer is speculative at best (19). With respect to lactose intolerance, a large body of evidence indicates that most lactose maldigesters, including minorities, can tolerate with few or no symptoms one to two cups of milk/day when evenly spaced throughout the day and consumed with food (20, 21, 22).
Although anti-milk advocates have succeeded in getting media coverage for their position, their unsubstantiated negative claims about milk have not been widely accepted. Findings from a recent telephone survey of 800 adults nationwide reveal that most people have positive attitudes about milk. The challenge is to turn these positive attitudes into action. To do this, as well as to combat misinformation, requires comprehensive education efforts tailored to specific population groups (e.g., minority groups). Also, the media needs to promote sound science. Health professionals have a continued responsibility to work with the media to help them communicate sound science about the health benefits of milk.
Table of Contents:
|