Gov. Pataki: Quit Weighing Our Kids Down with Cheese On March 20, as part of Ag Literacy Day, New York state schoolchildren will be taught to eat high-fat foods. That unhealthy message should not be part of any lesson plan. Despite slick advertising by the dairy industry, cheese and other dairy products are loaded with fat, calories, and cholesterol. These unhealthy foods should not be promoted to youngsters, many of whom are already struggling to avoid obesity. Here are some facts you may not know about dairy and childhood obesity: - Dairy products have significant amounts of fat and cholesterol. Mozzarella cheese derives a full 70 percent of its calories from fat. Even skim milk is 55 percent sugar, as a percentage of calories.
- Milk is the single largest source of artery-clogging saturated fat in children's diets, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Development.
- Childhood obesity leads to all sorts of health problems, including adult-onset diabetes and heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 60 percent of overweight five- to 10-year-olds already have at least one risk factor for heart disease.
We are in the middle of an obesity epidemic. A recent report published by the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity concluded that nearly half of children in North and South America will be overweight by 2010. Since many unhealthy eating choices are established in childhood, it is imperative that schools get involved in promoting healthy eating and active lifestyles. Ag Literacy Day would do just the opposite. Elementary school children around the state will be read the book Extra Cheese Please!: Mozzarella’s Journey from Cow to Pizza. This story ends with a girl enjoying a slice of cheese pizza and includes a recipe for the fat-laden snack. Help us remind Gov. Pataki that, according to the New York Department of Health, 28 percent of his state's adolescents were already overweight or at risk of becoming overweight in 2004. Ask him to cancel Ag Literacy Day. Governor George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
518-474-8390 Learn more about New York's Ag Literacy Day on March 20 Learn more about what you can do to help posted 3/7/06
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