Whole milk is political

Whole milk was yanked from public schools in 2010, thanks to Michelle Obama’s campaign to save children from obesity. Big mistake: 45 years ago, less than 5 percent of children ages 2 to 17 had obesity. In 2020, that number had quadrupled to nearly 20 percent. The problem with eliminating whole milk is that kids drink juice instead. Apple juice, for example, contains 30 grams of sugar (fructose) per cup, compared to 12 grams of sugar (lactose) in whole milk. What’s more, milk contains protein and is a naturally rich source of calcium Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12, potassium, phosphorous, and is supplemented with Vitamins A and D. Many vitamins are fat soluble, meaning fat is needed to fully absorb these nutrients.

(A word about lactose intolerance: we're born with the ability to digest lactose, but as we get older, many of us stop producing lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose. In such cases eating dairy products may cause gastric discomfort.)  

Anyway, Glenn Thompson, a Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania has been trying to get whole milk back in schools, His “Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act” was approved by the Education and Workforce Committee in a 26-13 vote along partisan lines, with Republicans in the majority. (For the record, I’m a Democrat.) The Republicans have it right this time. His bill is headed for a vote in the full House, but its passage is uncertain.

Some democrats view the Republicans’ stance as an effort to “roll back” or “unravel” Michelle Obama’s efforts. Some liberals are more concerned with animal rights and climate changes. Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York, comments that schools needed a more “climate friendly” beverage. Because cows emit lots of methane gas and eat water-grabbing alfalfa, I can sort of get behind that one.  

The saturated fat in whole milk is not bad for you. After all, would Mother Nature include plenty of it in human breast milk if it were dangerous? We old people grew up drinking whole milk (remember those little cartons?) So did our kids, who are now in their 60s. We even drank whole unpasteurized milk from our cow for a few years. We are not obese or ill with cardiovascular problems. The same goes for our kids.

I’m with Democratic Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, from Connecticut: “I drink whole milk. My kids drink whole milk. We like it.”  

For an introduction to this blog, see I Just Say No; for a list of blog topics, click the Topics tab.