The Search is on for America's Healthiest Student Bodies

    CHICAGO, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- With the number of overweight teens
 tripling in the last two to three decades(1), it's critical now more than
 ever for schools to implement programs that help promote good nutrition and
 physical activity for their students. To help drive home the important role
 schools can play and reward those already taking steps, the National "got
 milk?" Milk Mustache Campaign launched the Healthiest Student Bodies
 program, which recognizes schools across the country that provide an
 environment that encourages healthy choices for students. The top 25
 Healthiest Student Bodies will be announced this fall.
     The Contest
     The "got milk?" Healthiest Student Bodies Contest will reward
 twenty-five students and their schools for promoting good nutrition and
 physical activity. To enter the contest, students can log on to
 bodybymilk.com and nominate his/her school by completing a short
 questionnaire and writing a brief 75 word essay. Winning schools will be
 awarded a $1,000 grant to support health and fitness programs, as well as a
 special milk mustache assembly at the school. As a bonus, winning student
 nominators will receive a prize package, including cool new gear from
 Adidas and iTunes.
     Keeping Up With Active Teens
     Drinking milk can aid teens in maintaining a healthy weight. Results
 from the new What America Drinks report(2) indicate that soft drinks and
 other sugar-sweetened beverages are the leading source of liquid calories
 in the diets of adolescents and are pushing out other, nutrient-rich
 beverages like milk. Studies indicate that milk protein plays an important
 role in building and keeping muscle and, that teens who get enough milk are
 more likely to weigh less and have less body fat than those who don't. By
 promoting milk intake, schools have the opportunity to become a cornerstone
 for their students' healthy lifestyle and choices.
     Winning is a Click Away
     Applications will be available at bodybymilk.com beginning April 20
 through June 20. Following the closing of the contest, a panel of health
 and fitness experts, will help select the winners. The 25 winning schools
 will be unveiled at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, and the "got
 milk?" team will begin visiting winners in September.
     For the official "got milk?" Healthy Student Bodies contest materials,
 complete rules and more information, visit bodybymilk.com.
     The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is
 funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing
 fluid milk consumption. Together with dairy farmers, the MilkPEP Board runs
 the National "got milk?" Milk Mustache Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign
 designed
     to educate consumers on the benefits of milk. For more information, go
 to http://www.whymilk.com.
     The tagline "got milk?"(R) was created for the California Milk
 Processor Board by Goodby Silverstein & Partners and is licensed by the
 national milk processor and dairy producer groups.
     (1) Based on research from the National Institutes of Health
 
     (2) What America Drinks is based on a comprehensive study conducted by
         ENVIRON International Corporation. The report analyzed data from more
         than 10,000 Americans ages 4 and older who participated in the
         government's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
         1999-2000 and 2001-2002 and provided reasonable dietary reports of
         food/beverage intakes. The study was commissioned by the Milk
         Processor Education Program and a copy can be found at
         http://www.2424milk.com.
 
 

SOURCE Milk Processor Education Program