Nutrition through milk education

Author: Dheza Marie Aguilar
Column: Life & Entertainment

Drinking milk has never been a favorite among Filipinos mainly because the country is not a dairy product producer. Unlike Westerners and Europeans who have immediate access and an abundant supply of milk, ours are mostly imported. Nonetheless, no one will contend the nutritional requirements and benefits that can be obtained from regular intake of milk, especially for growing children. During the early development years, parents consciously provide adequate milk supply for their children. But as kids grow older and are exposed to other enticing beverages like soda and fruit juices especially in their schools, drinking milk is slowly set aside.

In fact, a study conducted by the AC Nielsen revealed that milk consumption from March 2004 to February 2006 was down to 9 percent. Moreover, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute found out that only 49 percent of children six months to five years old have milk in their diet.

As milk contains nutrients like calcium, vitamin C and zinc essential for growing children, this finding has been linked to the increasing cases of malnutrition in the country. A 2003 survey by the FNRI showed that a total of 26 out of 100 elementary children, ages six to 10 were underweight while 37 out of 100 were underheight or around 5.9 children are malnourished, either lacking in weight or height.

Low milk consumption coupled with the prevalent cases of malnutrition among Filipino children has made us realize the need to take on this cause. This is a problem of our country and Nestlé aims to lower malnutrition in the Philippines, says Eugene David, business executive manager for Dairy, Health and Nutrition Solution of Nestlé Philippines, during a Laki sa Gatas milk education campaign in Bulacan.

It is our primary responsibility to guide our children. Nutrition comes from proper education and the first step in choosing the right food for our children, he added.

Laki sa Gatas is a yearly caravan that encourages Filipinos to drink at least two glasses of milk everyday. It visits different public elementary schools nationwide to inculcate to children six to eight years old, parents and teachers the relevance of milk drinking in acquiring proper nutrition. Now on its third year, the milk caravan has 1,600 major cities and province nationwide.

During the one-day event, participants from the chosen school are grouped into threestudents of the said age group, their parents and teacher. At the parents session, dieticians and nutritionist and dieticians from FNRI conduct a simple but comprehensive lecture on the three main food groups, Go, Grow and Glow and how serving a balanced meal of the said food group can affect the proper development of their children. Lecture speakers teach parents ways on how to choose healthy yet affordable diet for their kids. They were also taught how drinking milk can sustain the essential vitamins and nutrients that may be lacking from the diet of a child.

Meanwhile, the teachers who join the campaign are taught how to detect malnutrition cases and discuss ways on how they can help their students. It is necessary to assure that students are healthy so they can study well and participate in school activities.

To make the lecture more appealing to the kids, the information about proper nutrition is conveyed through storytelling, games, songs and dances and other fun activities. The famous Bear Brand mascots Mama Bear and Kuya are always present in the event, singing along and dancing with the children.

The Laki sa Gatas campaign is expected to be bigger as it reaches out to more schools across the country.

Source: Manila Standard Today