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Nutrition & Product Information
Calcium Summit Summary 1999
Developing a public health strategy to ensure America's optimal calcium intake.
America is facing a calcium crisis. Beginning in childhood and continuing throughout adult years, many Americans fail to consume current recommended dietary intakes for calcium (1,2). Concurrently, emerging research reveals an expanding role for this nutrient in the prevention of osteoporosis, hypertension, colon cancer and other chronic diseases. The widening calcium gap is explained in part by the three-decade decline in milk consumption. Milk and other Milk Group foods are the major source of calcium in the diet. Milk also provides other essential nutrients such as vitamin D (if fortified), riboflavin, phosphorus, protein, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B 12 and niacin (or niacin equivalents). To improve the dietary calcium intake of Americans, nearly 250 representatives from national health and nutrition organizations convened in Washington, D.C., on June 25 for the first-ever national Calcium Summit. By day's end, representatives from 31 health organizations and government groups signed on as coalition participants. This one-day scientific symposium looked at the state of calcium consumption, reviewed the latest research on calcium, examined consumer research and educational strategies to help increase calcium intake and provided linkages for grassroots efforts and coalitions to disseminate the calcium message. The following is a synopsis of the day's events.
Painting a Picture of The Problem
Moderator: Eileen T. Kennedy, D.Sc.
Deputy Under Secretary
Research, Education and Economics
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a long history of establishing dietary recommendations for calcium and providing tools such as the Food Guide Pyramid to help consumers meet their calcium needs. Yet, most Americans do not consume a diet sufficient in calcium. Simply providing tools such as the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid and taking a "one size fits all approach" are just one step in closing the calcium gap. This Calcium Summit provided an opportunity to examine public health strategies to improve calcium status.
Calcium Summit Coalition
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American College of Nutrition
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- American Osteopathic Association
- American School Food Service Association
- American Society for Bone & Mineral Research
- American Society for Clinical Nutrition
- American Society for Nutritional Sciences
- American Society of Nephrology
- Arthritis Foundation
- The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health
- Chinese American Dietetic Association
- Department of Foods and Nutrition/Purdue University
- Howard University/Department of Nutritional Sciences
- International Food Information Council
- Maryland State Department of Education
- The National Association of WIC Directors
- National Food Service Management Institute at the University of Mississippi
- National Hispanic Medical Association
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- National Osteoporosis Foundation
- National Restaurant Association
- Office of School Food and Nutrition Services/Board of Education of the City of New York
- Penn State University/Nutrition Department
- Salt Institute
- Shape Up America!
- Society for Nutrition Education
- Society for Women's Health Research
- South Carolina Department of Education/Office of School Food Services and Nutrition
- University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program
- University of Tennessee/Department of Nutrition/The Nutrition Institute
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