It Pays to Drink Milk With Breakfast

SAN CLEMENTE, CA, Aug 17 (MARKET WIRE) --
California teens will head back to school this fall ready to face myriad
academic challenges -- challenges made all the more difficult by the fact
that too many of them go to school without the most essential tool to
keep them alert: breakfast. The Food Research Action Center's (FRAC)
Child Nutrition Fact Sheet titled "Breakfast for Learning"(1) shows "the
most important meal of the day" is key to academic success. Just in time
for back-to-school, the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) -- the
creator of GOT MILK? -- challenges selected high school districts across
the Golden State to increase breakfast consumption with milk. The schools
with the greatest breakfast participation in each market could win $2500
for student activities.

"No child should enter the classroom with an empty stomach," says Jack
O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, who supports the
campaign. "Studies show that skipping breakfast puts young people at an
academic disadvantage because they do not have the nourishment necessary
to perform well in school. I applaud GOT MILK? for challenging high school
students to start the school year right with the most important meal of
the day."

GOT MILK? hopes to increase breakfast consumption among teens because
administrators say it's been difficult to get this group to start the day
off right with a healthy meal. They either don't want to wake up early to
eat or they would rather hang out with friends before school. With the GOT
MILK? breakfast challenge, school districts like Sacramento, Fresno and
Palm Springs as well as select schools in Southern California have the
opportunity to increase breakfast participation in school during a
three-week period at the beginning of the school year. The schools in each
market with the greatest improvement in breakfast participation from last
school year win $2500.

Nutritionists say a well-balanced breakfast includes protein-rich foods,
fresh fruits, whole grains and low fat or nonfat dairy like milk. Starting
the day off with a healthy meal, health experts say, also prevents young
people from snacking on fatty, high-calorie snacks, which in the long run
could curb the growing problem of childhood obesity.

"The stakes are high," says Steve James, executive director of the CMPB.
"We want young people to get the nourishment necessary to do well in
school and we also want to reward them for their efforts. We hope that the
monetary prize could be an important incentive for teens to change and
improve their eating habits, especially during these tough economic times
for schools."

On a personal level, GOT MILK? also challenges California teens ages 13 to
18 to participate in its "Back to Basics with GOT MILK?" breakfast video
contest for an opportunity to win a Mac Book, an iPod Touch or iPod
Shuffle. From Aug. 17 to Oct. 16, 2009, teens can submit video entries no
longer than two minutes in length explaining why breakfast with milk is
important for their health and academic performance. They must download an
entry form on www.gotmilk.com and submit it with their video entry via
the
following:

Email: contest@gotmilk.com (limit 8 MB)

Mail: Back to Basics with GOT MILK? Breakfast Video Contest

c/o RL Public Relations
11835 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 1155E
Los Angeles, CA 90064

For complete contest rules and to learn more about other health
benefits of drinking milk for strong bones, muscles, teeth, hair and
nails, visit www.gotmilk.com.

About the CMPB

The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk
more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of
GOT MILK? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most
important and successful campaigns in history. GOT MILK? is a federally
registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards
since 1995. The CMPB's Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the
tagline "Familia, Amor y Leche" (Family, Love and Milk). The TOMA LECHE
(Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, following a growing trend in
Hispanic food advertising that uses wit and humor to reach audiences. GOT
MILK? gifts and recipes can be viewed at www.gotmilk.com and
www.tomaleche.com. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors
and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

(1) "Breakfast for Learning." Child Nutrition Fact Sheet. Food Research &
Action Center. Web. http://www.frac.org/pdf/breakfastforlearning.PDF.

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