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Dairy Under Fire
Pamela Accetta Smith
(847) 205-5660 ext. 4069
In June, the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed two major lawsuits to stop
a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign claiming that milk facilitates
weight loss.
PCRM charges that three main dairy industry trade
groups — the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA),
National Dairy Council and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) — and
international food giants Kraft Foods, General Mills and Dannon are
misleading consumers with advertising that makes what it calls
scientifically unsubstantiated claims about the effect of dairy products on
weight loss. McNeill Nutritionals LLC, the maker of Lactaid, and Lifeway
Foods, manufacturer of kefir, are also named as defendants.
PCRM filed the lawsuits on behalf of a Virginia
resident who reportedly relied on these claims and actually gained weight
while following recommendations contained in a series of dairy weight-loss
ads.
“To stem declining sales and boost their bottom
line, the dairy industry is duping overweight Americans into believing that
milk and other dairy products are the magic bullet to weight
control,” charges Dan Kinburn, PCRM senior legal counsel. “We
are serving notice with these lawsuits that we will not continue to let
these false claims go unchallenged.”
IDFA, the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP)
and DMI rolled out the industry’s “Healthy Weight with
Dairy” campaign in October 2003 with national marketing efforts to
tout new scientific research that suggests a link between dairy consumption
and reduced body weight. As a result, the industry came together to build
awareness of this growing body of research linking dairy and weight
management.
The initiative, based on studies published in leading
medical journals, reminds consumers that milk, cheese and yogurt can help
in weight-loss efforts as part of a reduced-calorie, lowfat diet. The
campaign also reminds consumers of the importance of exercise.
While research continues, preliminary findings suggest
that calcium plays a role in the boy’s natural system for burning
fat. The Healthy Weight with Dairy campaign communicates this research to
consumers through major print advertising initiatives, national and
regional public relations, and trade and health professional efforts.
The original vision was to make a major impact on how
people view dairy products. Clearly, this Virginia resident is confused.
Again, can we please stop blaming everyone else for our weight problems?
Also, in an ad that ran in USA Today in June, PCRM called on
television psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw to fix the confusion caused by his
appearance in milk mustache ads they say “falsely claim that milk
helps weight loss.” Oh, Dr. Phil, what are you going to do?
I hope nothing.
As PCRM launched these latest misguided attacks, the
nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) called on the group to stop
misleading Americans and come clean about the real motive behind its
efforts.
According to CCF, PCRM is an animal-rights group that
opposes the sale of all food derived from animals. It has been reported
that less than 5 percent of the PCRM’s members are physicians. It has
also been reported that the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA) has steered more than $1.3 million to the organization.
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