Connecticut Dems Sponsor Bill to Ban Whole And 2% Milk in Day Care Centers

Connecticut Dems Sponsor Bill to Ban Whole And 2% Milk in Day Care Centers

Three Democrat state lawmakers in Connecticut have sponsored a bill that would ban day care centers from serving whole or 2 percent milk to children.

Democrat state Reps. David Zoni and Roberta Willis and state Sen. Catherine Osten say the proposed legislation aims to control childhood obesity.

As Foxnews.com reports, the bill would set stringent standards. It reads:

No child day care center, group day care home or family day care home shall provide milk with a milk fat content greater than 1 percent to any child 2 years of age or older under the care of such facility unless milk with a higher milk fat content is medically required for an individual child, as documented by such child’s medical provider.

Opponents of the bill, however, claim the information the lawmakers are using to back up the measure is outdated.

In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that children switch to low-fat milk after the age of two because the fat content is not required.

Nevertheless, others argue that the fat content in milk is not a dietary problem.

Greg Miller, executive vice president of the National Dairy Council, said research demonstrates that dairy fat is not as harmful to humans’ health as once believed. He said that the consumption of milk and milk products, regardless of fat level, is associated with lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes.

“The ‘choose low-fat or fat-free dairy foods’ message is an easy fix, and it looks good on paper, but in practicality and application, it’s probably not that easy,” Miller told Today’s Dietician magazine. “The science says we can be more flexible.”

A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that high-fat dairy was associated with a lower risk of obesity.

“We continue to see more and more data coming out [that supports the conclusion] that consumption of whole-milk dairy products is associated with reduced body fat,” Miller said.

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