“Finish your milk, it will make your bones grow stronger!”, is a quote that many of us American children heard as we grew up. However, what the majority of the nation does not  consider, is asking if the statement above is really true? Also what are the repercussions of the dairy and cattle farming industries in The United States on our health and environment? These are two questions that many Americans probably can not answer, which proves the severity of the situation we all live in, that no one is completely sure of the impact their eating habits are making; whether it be on their body or in their surrounding environment. This is especially true for our dairy product consumption. It is our individual responsibility to become more educated on what impact we personally can have in order to make more responsible and healthier choices especially when it comes to dairy products. Dairy products should be a conscious decision since the negatives outweigh the positives for our environment and our own health. 

For a multitude of countries, milk has been a staple in their diets for centuries but in the United Stated there was a clear cut increase in the importance of milk and other dairy products. In 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt was president and was attempting to find ways to boost the economy from the Great Depression (ProCon). One of the government's ideas was to increase milk production and increase advertising as to lead to taxation then regaining some of the funds that had been previously lost. Thus the first federally subsidized advertising was released and what they originally thought, indeed worked. Since the general population trusted the government, milk sales did in fact rise. Also, since it was a lucrative business, more and more government funded research began to be published hailing the benefits of the dairy products especially milk however no research was ever performed to look into the negative side that dairy products have. Even though this time period created the ideology surrounding the health benefits and necessity of milk, the 1990’s proved the most integral to the current belief system on dairy products. In fact, in 1990, the United States Congress passed the Fluid Milk Promotion Act, with the goal to increase milk sales and to allow more generic milk advertising. The act states, “fluid milk products are basic foods and are a primary source of required nutrients such as calcium, and otherwise are a valuable part of the human diet; fluid milk products must be readily available and marketed efficiently to ensure that the people of the United States receive adequate nourishment”(Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990). In 1992, the government released their new updated food pyramid which now included the recommendation of 2-3 servings of dairy products per day over a serving more than previously recommended (ProCon). Then to no surprise, generic campaigning did begin in 1993 with the most iconic milk advertisements, the “Got Milk” campaign. It is also no surprise that the head of the “Got Milk?” campaign is also the National Dairy Board, the board that supports and promotes dairy products for the United States dairy farmers. Still to this day it  is one of the world's most successful advertising campaigns reaching at one point almost 90% of the American population. For the next ten or so years milk would continue on this track of increase, until people began to question the legitimacy of the so called “benefits” that dairy products had on our health. Now present day, more than ever in the last decade, more and more research is emerging encouraging people to reconsider the idea that has been ingrained into our eating habits; to stop consuming milk and cheese altogether or in excess. 

In James Colquhoun’s article, “The Truth About Calcium and Osteoporosis”, he makes the reader aware of the discrepancies between the dairy industry and the health risks of over consuming animal proteins associated with osteoporosis. We live in a country that consumes the most milk, which naturally if you follow what the government says should mean we have the healthiest bones and are at the least risk for osteoporosis, right? Wrong. The disturbing truth is that though we may drink the most milk we have the highest amount of cases of osteoporosis in the world especially for women. In fact 1 out of every 4 women in the United States 65 years old and older are diagnosed with osteoporosis (Colquhoun). To be considered to be diagnosed with osteoporosis, one would have had to lose at least 50-75% of the original bone (Colquhoun). Even Colquhoun, a writer and expert on health with food had no idea about this phenomenon. He exclaims, “I used to believe that bones lost calcium only if there was not enough calcium in our diets. The National Dairy Council is the foremost spokesman for this point of view, and the solution they propose, not all that surprisingly, is for us all to drink more milk and eat more dairy products. In fact, the dairy industry has of late spent a great deal of money promoting this point of view; and it does seem logical. But modern nutritional research clearly indicates a major flaw in this perspective. Osteoporosis is, in fact, a disease caused by a number of things, the most important of which is excess dietary animal protein” (Colquhoun). The irony in this is that while the “Got Milk?” campaign has since been dropped, the new slogan “Milk Life” as taken action and the goal of this new campaign is to show the “benefits” of milk putting extreme emphasis on the animal protein content (ProCon). Again, an excess in this as well can also lead to osteoporosis. While there are lots of different causes of osteoporosis that are out of our control, it is something to consider cutting back on milk products to eliminate that one cause that you do have control over. Not to say that milk is not an integral piece of nutrition when you are young and growing, because milk can deliver important vitamins in a method like a “one stop shop”. However, the problems begin to arise once each person reaches their calcium intake capacity. By the age of 18 years old, women and men’s bones stop taking calcium in the diet and begin to take the calcium from the bones. This is why it is so important to gain as much calcium in the time period while you can. Though, there are many other ways in which you can achieve the daily amount of calcium for example eating almonds, salmon or spinach, for the amount needed to reach the recommended daily dosage you would have to eat copious amounts of each one. For example 90 almonds or 5 cups of spinach. It is at this point where milk gains its popularity to unsuspecting parents. 

The biggest controversy is in the fact that there is so much evidence supporting that dairy products are unbeneficial, then why does the government especially the advisory committee for government Health organizations push so hard the opposing way? The main reason is because of money. The main contributors to these types of studies like the ones performed in the 1950’s and through today, have been funded by companies like Nestle and Dannon. These are two major companies in the dairy industry. Both companies donate to the Dairy Research Institute, whose goal is, “to establish the health benefits of dairy products and ingredients”(Dairy Research Institute). Dairy companies like Nestle and Dannon, also donate huge sums to the American Society for Nutrition who make the standard guidelines on daily nutritional needs etc. Already with the large dairy corporations controlling these major research oriented organizations, they also have control over our politicians (Harkinson). Dairy companies as a collective spent over $63 million dollars on federal lobbying and gave over $24 million dollars from 2004 to 2014 to individual presidential candidates (Harkinson). These funds given could definitely reap benefits for the dairy companies.

Not only does dairy affect our health physically but also environmentally. Any type of cattle farming produces lots of pollution. Cattle farming is related to all aspects of normal farming and then some. Cattle farming for dairy or for meat requires huge amounts of pesticides, feed, water, and fertilizer while also releasing copious amounts of greenhouse gases like methane (Moss, Scheer). The issue lies with the feed that typical cattle are fed with. This feed usually consists of varying grains, soybeans or corn meal all which have to first be grown, processed and distributed to each farming site. Ecologist, David Pimentel, states that, “the seven billion livestock in the U.S. consume five times as much grain as is consumed directly by the entire U.S. population”(Moss, Scheer).  Not only do cattle need extensive amounts of feed but space is also a priority when farming as well. What are known as CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), produce enough waste from the cows almost as much as a small city, this type of operation also leads to mass water pollution as cattle are given constant antibiotics since they are living in such tight quarters (Moss, Scheer) These antibiotics have also leaked into the surrounding water systems and created antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can wreak havoc if it gets into any water system or dairy product that we consume (Moss, Scheer). Cattle farming for dairy or meat uses over one third of the entire world's freshwater supply and about 30% of the world's ice-free surface is used to farm cattle, poultry and pig that we eventually consume or use their products (Walsh). Both of these facts considering that 1 in 10 people in the entire world do not have access to clean fresh drinking water, is a staggering amount of the total water supply going into meat and milk production (WaterAid). Every person is also affected by cattles release of methane a type of greenhouse gas. Indeed, cows emit more methane than the entire world's transportation does (Lean). Methane is also even worse that carbon dioxide because it heats the planet up faster leading to a change in the rate of climate change. Cow's urine is also filled with ammonia and because they release so much of it, they produce over two thirds of the world’s emission of ammonia. This poses a threat to our environment because ammonia is in acid rain which deteriorates and depletes nutrients in soil leading to plant life loss (Lean). While all of these repercussions are prevalent, we do have the power to do something to change where cattle farming is leading us. 

Realistically there will never be a complete eradication of all livestock products however there are several ways to combat the negative involved. One of the most powerful ways for an individual to help is to cut back on dairy products and red meat consumption. In the marketplace, consumer preferences are noted and will follow along with what will usually sell. If that is not a possibility, then electing officials in the office that support environmental causes is also another way that we can try to reverse the effects of cattle farming. Not only is cutting back healthier for ourselves but also for the environment as well. Becoming a more educated nation especially with the origin of all of our food products, can help us lead a healthier and environmentally conscious lifestyle.
