Last year I shared about the Dairy Council of California Trends tracking process. We had our meeting on February 2 and 3 to reflect back on the past year and to project where the trends are heading and envision where Dairy Council of California fits into these trends. This meeting is especially important since we are currently starting another multi-year strategic plan and this thinking will guide that planning process.

As a reminder, here is how the process works. Staff are assigned scientific journals, industry newsletters or popular press to track. They abstract articles relevant to our current issues list, as noted above. The abstracts are stored on a searchable database that compiles the articles by issue area. We always have a lot to discuss -- our facilitator has her hands full reigning in 10 people who are passionate about nutrition education and health!  We had a lot to discuss at this meeting because since our last meeting in September the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Institute of Medicine Recommended Dietary Allowances for Calcium and Vitamin D were released. Also, the Child Nutrition Reauthorization was passed (a.k.a. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act) and signed into law on December 13, 2010.

In addition to discussing how these new guidelines and laws impact the Dairy Council, we also discussed the latest nutrition research. Some of the take aways from the meeting:

• Research on the health benefits of milk and dairy foods (particularly fluid milk) is very strong. It is an excellent vehicle for the delivery of nutrients, contains three of the four nutrients of concern listed in the Dietary Guidelines (calcium, vitamin D and potassium) and contains high quality protein. Emerging research suggests that milk and milk products are protective for heart disease and diabetes.
• Health and wellness education is increasingly happening in a wide variety of settings; at the workplace, fitness centers, community centers, etc. The qualifications of health educators vary widely. Also, as a result of consumers wanting to keep their personal health information private, wellness providers will be looking more at general health indicators and maintaining a positive approach to health education.
• There is an increasing focus on childhood as the time to teach healthy behaviors. Research clearly indicates that early choices (prenatal and in infancy) make a big difference in long term health. Preventing childhood obesity and assuring nutrient adequacy is a major push.
• The school environment (kindergarten - high school) is in a state of flux. A lack of funding is a huge issue and school food service directors are trying to figure out how to implement the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. With high profile attention from celebrities like Jamie Oliver, school food service directors are operating in a fish bowl. Striking the right balance between providing nutritious foods kids will eat at the right calorie levels to promote health and well being and stay within budget make the job of a school food service director exceedingly difficult.

Over the next few months we will further review these ideas as we move toward developing our strategic plan. Staying on top of the trends and staying relevant is a challenge for the Dairy Council of California as it is for all organizations. We look forward to making a positive impact on the health and well being of Californians as we move into the future.

Maureen Bligh, MA, RD

Project Manager