1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and to urge you to support legislation that restores science-based nutrition standards in our schools. This law was not driven by parents, nutritionists, or pediatricians. It resulted from over a decade of lobbying by the dairy industry, which has spent more than $6 million annually on lobbying since 2011 to reverse Obama-era restrictions on fatty foods in schools. Industry leaders themselves acknowledged this was a persistent long-term effort and a defining victory after years of campaigning. The dairy industry, with an economic impact of nearly $780 billion last year, has successfully prioritized corporate profits over the health of our children. The alleged health benefits of whole milk remain murky at best. What is clear is that the dairy industry pushed for this change because milk consumption among children has declined, partly because low-fat milk tastes less appealing than full-fat versions. This is about market share, not child nutrition. Our children deserve nutrition policies based on rigorous scientific research and the recommendations of qualified health professionals, not the lobbying power of industries with massive economic interests. When corporate influence determines what our children eat at school, we have fundamentally failed in our responsibility to protect their health and wellbeing. I urge you to publicly oppose the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and to introduce or support legislation that returns control of school nutrition standards to scientists, nutritionists, and public health experts. Our children's health should never be for sale to the highest bidder, regardless of the industry involved. Will you commit to putting evidence-based nutrition policy ahead of industry lobbying and work to reverse this corporate giveaway disguised as child health policy?