How big government helps big dairy sell milk

Vox

2 May 201604:17

Summary

TLDRThis video explores the history and marketing behind milk consumption in the U.S. It highlights how the dairy industry shaped public perception, convincing people that milk is essential for health, despite evidence showing that dairy isn't necessary for a balanced diet. The script delves into how government policies, advertising campaigns like 'Got Milk?', and powerful political influences have driven milk's prominence in schools and dietary guidelines. The video raises questions about whether milk's dominance is due to health benefits or marketing, while alternative, nutritious food options are often overlooked.

Takeaways

🧀 Dairy ads have promoted milk as a healthy alternative to sugary drinks for decades.
🤔 The belief that milk is essential for health is more a product of marketing than necessity.
🥛 People can be healthy without consuming any dairy, and many Americans can't even digest milk.
🦴 Research shows that drinking lots of milk doesn't necessarily reduce the risk of fractures.
💼 The dairy industry is a powerful economic force influencing federal dietary guidelines.
🌍 Milk was originally a survival tool for populations in cold climates with limited access to produce.
🪖 The U.S. government promoted milk during World War I to combat soldier malnutrition, which spurred large-scale dairy production.
💡 After the war, the dairy industry shifted to large-scale production, leading to milk surpluses that the government had to buy up.
📊 In the 1980s, the government stopped buying surplus milk, leading to a dairy checkoff program that funds advertising to increase consumption.
🍕 Dairy checkoff funds partnerships with fast-food chains to promote cheese-heavy menu items, while the USDA promotes dairy consumption in its guidelines.

Q & A

Where did the idea that milk is essential for health originate?
-The idea that milk is essential for health was heavily promoted by the dairy industry through marketing campaigns and 'milk education' programs. This belief is not necessarily based on scientific evidence but rather on the need to sell surplus milk after World War I.
Are there other foods that provide the same nutrients as milk?
-Yes, there are many foods that provide similar amounts of calcium, potassium, and protein as milk. For example, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and fortified plant-based milks can offer comparable nutrients.
What percentage of Americans cannot digest milk, and what are the implications?
-Around 25% of Americans cannot digest milk due to lactose intolerance. This means that a significant portion of the population does not benefit from the high dairy consumption recommended by federal dietary guidelines.
Did drinking more milk reduce the risk of fractures?
-No, studies have shown that people who drink large amounts of milk are not less likely to experience fractures, which challenges the idea that milk is essential for bone health.
How did World War I impact the U.S. dairy industry?
-During World War I, the U.S. government sent large amounts of canned and powdered milk overseas to combat malnutrition. This led to an increase in dairy production, but after the war, demand dropped, leaving farmers with surplus milk.
What role did the U.S. government play in promoting milk consumption?
-The U.S. government played a major role by including milk in school lunch programs and buying up surplus milk. This helped establish the idea that milk was a necessary part of a healthy diet, despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting this claim.
What is the dairy checkoff, and how does it influence consumer behavior?
-The dairy checkoff is a program where dairy farmers pay a mandatory fee, which funds marketing campaigns designed to increase milk consumption. These campaigns, like 'Got Milk?', are approved by the USDA and aim to promote dairy-heavy products.
How does the dairy industry's influence affect federal dietary guidelines?
-The dairy industry's financial contributions to politicians and lobbying efforts make it difficult for dietary guidelines to reduce dairy recommendations, even though research shows that dairy is not essential for health.
Why is milk still recommended in U.S. dietary guidelines despite conflicting evidence?
-Milk continues to be recommended because of the powerful political and economic influence of the dairy industry, which works to protect its interests in the face of scientific evidence that questions the necessity of milk consumption.
How do the marketing strategies for milk compare to other foods like vegetables?
-Milk is heavily marketed through large-scale advertising campaigns, unlike vegetables like broccoli, which do not have industry groups with similar marketing budgets. This disparity in marketing has shaped public perception and dietary habits.

Outlines

00:00

🧑‍🎤 The Ubiquity of Milk in Advertising

This paragraph highlights the prevalence of milk advertisements, often promoted by celebrities, and the perception that milk is a healthy alternative to sugary drinks. However, it questions where the notion of milk being essential for health originated. Experts argue that individuals can be healthy without dairy consumption, and research shows no strong link between drinking milk and a lower risk of fractures. Despite this, U.S. dietary guidelines still recommend three servings of dairy daily, raising questions about the motivations behind this advice.

🥛 The Rise of Milk Consumption in the U.S.

The paragraph traces the history of milk consumption in America, noting that for most of history, milk played a minor role in people's diets. It was primarily used as a survival tool in cold climates. During World War I, the U.S. government heavily promoted milk, leading farmers to shift to large-scale dairy production. However, after the war, there was a surplus, forcing farmers to find new ways to keep the dairy industry afloat, including through 'milk education' campaigns and legislation that pushed milk consumption in schools.

🍕 Managing Milk Surplus and Government Intervention

This section explains how the U.S. government dealt with massive milk surpluses in the mid-20th century. To manage the excess, the government purchased surplus milk and distributed it to schools, the military, and as food aid. However, this storage and distribution system became unsustainable, prompting the Reagan Administration to halt the buying program. This led dairy producers to establish a mandatory fee system, or dairy checkoff, to fund advertising campaigns like 'Got Milk?' and form partnerships with restaurants to increase dairy-heavy menu options.

💸 Politics and the Influence of the Dairy Industry

The paragraph discusses the powerful influence of the dairy industry on U.S. dietary guidelines and politics. Despite evidence that milk isn’t necessary for a healthy diet, the dairy industry has successfully maintained its position in dietary recommendations through lobbying and political donations. Politicians, supported by the dairy industry, resist any effort to reduce dairy recommendations. The paragraph concludes by pointing out that other food groups, like vegetables, do not have the same lobbying power, which shapes how nutrition guidelines are formed.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Milk consumption

Milk consumption refers to the act of drinking milk as part of a regular diet. The video questions the widely held belief that milk is essential for good health, pointing out that many other foods can provide the same nutrients. It also highlights that a significant portion of the population, particularly in the U.S., cannot digest milk properly. The promotion of milk consumption, despite these facts, is shown to be driven by marketing and industry interests.

💡Dairy industry

The dairy industry represents the network of producers, processors, and marketers of milk and milk-based products. The video describes how this industry has grown to be a powerful economic force in the U.S., influencing public policy and dietary guidelines to promote dairy consumption. The industry's tactics, such as advertising campaigns and partnerships with restaurants, have shaped public perception of milk as a necessary part of a healthy diet.

💡Dietary guidelines

Dietary guidelines are government-issued recommendations for healthy eating. The video discusses how U.S. dietary guidelines recommend three servings of dairy a day, despite evidence that milk is not essential for health. These guidelines are portrayed as being influenced by political and economic pressures from the dairy industry, rather than being purely based on scientific research.

💡Calcium

Calcium is a mineral that is essential for strong bones and teeth, and it is commonly associated with milk. The video challenges the notion that milk is the best source of calcium, stating that many other foods offer similar levels of this nutrient. It points out that despite high milk consumption, there is no clear evidence that it reduces the risk of fractures.

💡Milk education campaigns

Milk education campaigns refer to efforts, particularly in public schools, to promote milk consumption as a healthy choice. The video describes how these campaigns, funded by the dairy industry, encouraged children to drink four glasses of milk a day. This historical push contributed to ingraining the idea that milk is essential for health, starting from a young age.

💡Surplus milk

Surplus milk refers to the overproduction of milk, which led to an excess supply that the U.S. government had to manage. After World War I, farmers shifted to large-scale milk production, and when demand dropped, the government bought up the surplus, storing it in large underground caves. The video explains how this surplus problem fueled further campaigns to increase milk consumption to prevent waste.

💡Dairy checkoff

The dairy checkoff is a system where dairy farmers pay a mandatory fee, which is then used to fund marketing campaigns promoting milk. The video highlights how the dairy checkoff allowed the industry to fund the 'Got Milk?' campaign and partner with restaurants to promote dairy-heavy foods. This system is an example of how the dairy industry works to boost consumption through strategic advertising.

💡Got Milk? campaign

'Got Milk?' is a famous advertising campaign funded by the dairy industry to promote milk consumption. The video mentions this campaign as part of the dairy checkoff program, designed to convince the public that milk is a vital part of a healthy diet. This campaign is an example of how marketing can shape public perceptions about food and health.

💡Saturated fat

Saturated fat is a type of fat found in high amounts in dairy products, such as cheese and whole milk. The video raises concerns about the high levels of saturated fat in dairy-heavy foods promoted by partnerships between the dairy industry and restaurants. For example, a pizza with 40% more cheese can have one slice containing two-thirds of the recommended daily limit of saturated fat, which contradicts the message of healthy eating.

💡Political influence

Political influence refers to how industries, like the dairy industry, can affect government policies through lobbying and financial contributions. The video explains that the dairy industry has given millions to politicians to protect its interests, which helps maintain favorable dietary guidelines that recommend high dairy consumption, despite scientific evidence suggesting milk is not essential for health.

Highlights

The perception that milk is essential for health is heavily influenced by marketing, not scientific necessity.

Dairy products are not necessary for a healthy diet, as many foods offer similar nutrients like calcium, potassium, and protein.

A quarter of Americans cannot digest milk, yet dairy is still promoted as an essential part of a healthy diet.

Despite the widespread belief, research shows that drinking milk does not significantly reduce the risk of fractures.

The federal dietary guidelines recommend three servings of dairy daily, but this may be driven by economic, not health, interests.

Milk was originally a survival technology in cold climates where other food sources were scarce.

During World War I, the U.S. government promoted dairy to combat malnutrition among soldiers, which led to major shifts in farming practices.

After World War I, farmers heavily invested in dairy production, leading to a surplus when the war ended and demand decreased.

In the 1940s, 'milk education' campaigns in schools promoted drinking four glasses of milk a day.

The National School Lunch Program, created in 1946, required lunches to include a glass of whole milk.

Despite all the promotion, the U.S. still faced huge milk surpluses in the 1940s and 1950s, leading to the government purchasing the excess.

By the 1980s, the government was spending $2 billion annually to manage surplus milk, which led to the creation of the 'dairy checkoff' program.

The 'Got Milk?' campaign and partnerships with companies like Domino’s and Starbucks were funded by the dairy checkoff program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, responsible for dietary guidelines, also approves advertising campaigns aimed at increasing dairy consumption.

Political forces make it difficult to revise dietary guidelines to limit dairy or red meat consumption, due to strong lobbying by the dairy industry.