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Since 1920 The Dairy Council has been promoting
the many health benefits of milk and dairy products to the
public.
Through
its diverse range of leaflets, videos and posters this
non-profit making organisation provides credible information
and advice on the important role that milk and dairy products
play in the diet for both young and old.
In
2001 the emphasis was placed on campaign work and The Dairy
Council launched its School Milk campaign - highlighting
why a 189ml carton of milk at break-time is important for
young children and demonstrating to head teachers how easy
it is to introduce a milk scheme, offering reduced price
milk to primary school children aged 5-11 years.
School
nurses, head teachers, community nutritionists, dietitians
and parent governors attended a series of national School
Milk conferences organised by The Dairy Council. Informative
leaflets were distributed to schools along with a motivating
video message from head teachers already operating school
milk schemes.
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The Dairy Council was so successful in breaking
down the milk myth of ‘Margaret Thatcher Milk Snatcher’ that
thousands more children are enjoying a carton of ‘The
White Stuff’ at break-time, for as little as £7
a term.
In
2002 The Dairy Council launched its 3-A-Day campaign, highlighting
the proven health benefits of eating three portions of
low-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt each day.
The
campaign started by alerting young people and women to
the fact that they were not getting enough calcium in their
diet and that this could affect their future bone health.
Adults
and young children need to eat between 700- 450mg of calcium
each day (see Fact box for age variants in calcium intake).
Dairy products are a rich source of easily absorbed calcium
in the diet and it doesn’t really matter which milk
you drink e.g. skimmed, semi and whole, as they all contain
similar amounts of calcium.
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• 6
slices of white bread
• 12 slices of brown bread
• 7 servings of cooked broccoli
• 16 servings of cooked cauliflower
• 8 medium bags of peanuts
• 10 tablespoons of red kidney beans
• 50 almonds
• 3 heaped tablespoons of sesame seeds
• ½ tin (100g) of sardines (including bones) |
Some
of the most interesting news to come out of the campaign was
that 3-A-Day:
• Boosts
bone and dental health
• Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol
• Influences weight loss
• May protect against breast and colon cancer
• Provides essential nutrients. |
Thousands
of health professionals received a summary of the science
in this area while the public were given handy booklets.
These detailed how cheese protects against tooth decay,
the calcium in dairy products helps burn-off fat and has
a protective effect on colon cancer – as does milk
fat which may help protect against breast cancer.
More
than 3 million diet sheets were distributed to GP surgeries
in the UK. They showed how eating 3-A-Day of dairy products,
in conjunction with 5-A-Day of fruit and vegetables and
a low salt intake can reduce blood pressure.
Finally
consumers interested in milk’s unique nutrient package
were directed to the website www.milk.co.uk for further
information.
In
April 2003 The Dairy Council launched its current Better
Bones and Teeth campaign, aimed at parents, with a series
of print adverts promoting milk as a natural, low-fat and
healthy drink.
The
adverts will run in magazines like Hello, the Radio Times,
Bella and the national newspapers until September 2003.
After that, The Dairy Council intends to highlight to young
girls and boys how the nutrients in milk can help boost
health and beauty.
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Adults
should consume at least 700mg of calcium each day by
consuming a glass of milk, pot of yoghurt and match-boxed
size piece of cheese each day.
The portion sizes vary depending on age:
Children:
Age 1-3 years
• A
small glass of milk (100ml)
• A small pot of yogurt (80g)
• A piece of cheese (15g)
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Children: Age 4-7 years
Slightly bigger than above
Children:
Age 8-10
• A glass of milk (150ml)
• A pot of yogurt (125g)
• A piece of cheese (25g)
Adults (including teenage girls)
• A glass of milk (200ml)
• A pot of yogurt (150g)
• A piece of cheese (30g) |
Teenage boys
• A
glass of milk (250ml)
• A large pot of yogurt (200g)
• A piece of cheese (35g |
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