Creators of Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign toast Let's Move! program

The creators of the popular Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign are toasting the new Let's Move! initiative that was unveiled by First Lady Michelle Obama.  Instead of the latest celebrity sporting a white upper lip, the new ad features children – who have the most to gain from the new Let's Move! program, which aims to solve the childhood obesity problem in a generation.

During the unveiling of Let's Move!, Mrs. Obama reinforced the benefits of small changes that can add up, "like walking to school, replacing soda with water or skim milk, trimming those portions a little – things like this can mean the difference between being healthy or not."

Indeed, the growing reliance on empty-calorie, sugary drinks in place of milk has been increasingly linked to weight gain among children and adolescents.  Drinking fat free or lowfat milk at meals in place of sugary beverages may be one important step in fighting childhood obesity.  The switch also will help ensure that growing children get the nutrients they need.

The new ad is appearing in USA Today on Monday, March 1, as well as The New York Times and The Washington Post.  The copy reads:

Let's raise a glass of milk to Michelle Obama's Let's Move! program.

First Lady Michelle Obama just unveiled the Let's Move! campaign to fight childhood obesity. The campaign aims to solve childhood obesity in a generation by helping families make healthier choices.

The program recommends small changes that add up. We were glad to hear that one of those changes includes drinking fat-free milk. Milk has nine essential nutrients to help kids be healthy. Eating right, drinking milk and being active for at least 60 minutes a day can help kids maintain a healthy weight. That's why we encourage kids to "fuel up to play 60."

Small changes like these, at home and in schools, can make a big difference.

So to the First Lady and First Mom, and to every mom, America's Milk Producers and Processors raise a glass to your efforts to build healthier, stronger families. Learn more at whymilk.com and fueluptoplay60.com.

Unfortunately, many children and adolescents fail to drink enough milk.  Studies indicate that more than half of children aged 2 to 8 and three-quarters of children aged 9 to 19 do not consume the recommended daily servings of milk and milk products.  

Milk is naturally nutrient-rich like no other beverage, and it supplies calcium and vitamin D for strong bones, high-quality protein for lean muscles and B vitamins for energy.  Milk provides three of the five "nutrients of concern" for children as identified by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, or the nutrients most likely to be lacking in children's diets:  calcium, potassium and magnesium.  And being active, eating right and drinking lowfat or fat free milk instead of sugary beverages each day can help kids maintain a healthy weight.