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Never mind the fad for low-fat food products, children need good
supplies of the right kinds of fats, free of pesticides, herbicides,
synthetic hormones, antibiotics, heavy metals and arachidonic
acid. Full fat organic milk meets the bill.
The American Academy of Pediatrics was wrong
to change its recommendation for children under two years old
from whole milk to 2% (skimmed) milk. The measure is to counteract
the growing obesity problem among children. The (saturated)
fat in milk is not a major cause of child obesity, but is a
major requirement of developing children
The principal causes of obesity are poor
diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and a huge increase in the consumption
of refined carbohydrates and trans fatty acids (Ed.- now much
reduced in the UK)
Also key to healthy child development are
adequate supplies of essential fatty acids, like omega-3 and
omega-6. Cows’ milk contains these as well as other important
fats. So does breast milk, especially if the mother is on a
healthy diet balanced with good levels of omega-6 and omega-3
fatty acids
The natural vitamin E and beta-carotene in
organic milk help protect these good fats from rancidity. The
conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in cows’ milk improves
children’s metabolisms and protects against weight gain.
The omega-3 fats it contains also help with weight management
