Parents risk children's health by choosing snacks over milk

Indonesian children drink less milk than the minimum intake required for a healthy diet because their parents prefer to buy them snacks, nutritionists said Thursday.

Inadequate milk consumption can cause children to become deficient in calcium, vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals necessary for their growth, said Saptawati "Tati" Bardosono, a lecturer at the nutrition department at the University of Indonesia.

Worse, calcium deficiency can weaken children's resistance to diseases and inhibit their ability to learn.

"Ideally, school children need about 600 milligrams of calcium per day, which they can obtain by drinking two to three glasses of milk," she said.

She said many parents did not realize the benefits of milk and were therefore reluctant to spend money on it.

Her recent study in Jakarta and Surakarta in Central Java found most parents advised their children to spend their pocket money on snacks sold on the street, instead of on milk.

"Many parents think milk is too expensive. Actually, many milk producers sell milk in small packs at lower prices. If they can't afford cow's milk, they can replace it with soy milk, which is even cheaper," she added.

Tati and another nutritionist, Endang Dewi Lestari of Sebelas Maret University, conducted a joint study on milk consumption among elementary school students aged between 7 and 9 years old who live in poor districts in Jakarta and Surakarta.

The study found students who drank milk fortified with zinc for six months could think better than those who consumed regular milk.

Health Ministry data show Indonesians consume less milk than residents of neighboring countries.

In 2006, the average level of milk consumption was 7.7 liters per person per year, compared with Singapore's 32 liters per person per year, Malaysia's 25 liters per person per year and the Philippines' 11 liters per person per year.

Endang said replacing milk with other dairy foods was not sufficient.

"If parents want to replace milk with other dairy products that contain calcium, they should provide them for their children in greater quantities. It will be hard for children to eat that much," she said.

"Milk is the easiest way to get the benefits of calcium." (trw)