Got Low-Fat Milk? How a Community-Based Coalition Changed School Milk Policy in New York City

• DOI: 10.1097/fch.0b013e318202a7dd
• Publication Date: 2012-12-15T06:12:56Z
• Authors: Maxine Golub; Megan Charlop; Adriana Estela Gr...; Charmaine Ruddock; Neil Calman
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; Health Status; Food Services; Health Care Coalitions; Health Promotion; Nutrition Policy; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Milk; 0302 clinical medicine; Healthy People Programs; Residence Characteristics; Child, Preschool; Animals; Humans; New York City; Community Health Services; Health Planning Councils; Program Development; Child; School Health Services

In 2006, New York City, the largest school district in the country, eliminated whole milk and reduced the availability of sweetened milk in 1,579 schools. Despite pressure from the American Dairy Council, skepticism from school food administrators and elected officials, and the difficulties inherent in changing a system that serves 120,000,000 containers of milk per year, a community-led coalition prevailed. This article describes how parents, educational leaders, advocates, and health professionals collaborated to educate school children and their families to choose low-fat milk, and created change at a system, policy, and environmental level to promote health in the community.