I'm not here to debate whether or not our nation has an obesity problem. Too many U.S. citizens, many of them children, are overweight. And yes, part of that problem is that they simply aren't exposed to enough nutritious foods. But is getting rid of chocolate milk in schools really the answer to the problem?

According to CBS News, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering a move that would ban all flavored milk from public school cafeterias. That would include chocolate milk. The reason? Sugar. The department says that chocolate milk can have as much sugar as a can of soda. Proponents of the ban say that it will help keep kids healthier and lower the rate of childhood diabetes. But CBS News reports that dairy producers say, hold on a minute!

Dairy producers say that even in varieties that have a higher sugar content, milk still contains things like calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, that far outweigh, no pun intended, the sugar. CBS News reports that health experts say that kids simply aren't getting enough of those three ingredients, which can be found in flavored milk.

I propose a compromise. Don't take flavored milk out of schools. Kids need something, anything, to look forward to during a rough day. Don't take away the joy of an ice-cold chocolate milk. Instead, perhaps limit the amount of sugar that milk in schools can contain. And don't try and pin childhood obesity on one random product. Continue to encourage healthy eating, and tell kids to put down the video game controller and get outside and play! Leave chocolate milk in schools!

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