The average person faces countless decisions throughout their life, and nutrition is just one of them. If a person does not understand how certain foods work together, the terms calories, carbohydrates, cholesterol, high fiber and low fat, found on the product packaging, are not very useful. Media advertisements and the convenience of fast food chains can easily distract us from a healthy lifestyle, but when there are so many food choices, how do you know you've made the best decision? Worse yet, what would happen if the information the media provided to the public was not accurate? Each year, according to California Milk Processor Board Executive Director Jeff Manning, approximately “$27 million is spent on milk marketing.” (Innovator, 1999) Most television viewers or magazine readers are familiar with the famous milk mustache advertisements and the slogan "got milk", but the potential health risks associated with milk consumption remain unknown. Since prehistoric times, milk has been part of the human diet and has never posed a health risk. In fact, over generations, it has been learned that milk is necessary for maintaining and strengthening bone density, especially for calcium intake. However, the idea that milk does good for the body is being challenged by more recent clinical research that reveals a link between dairy products, like cow's milk, made up of genetically modified growth hormones; contain harmful nutrients; and cause various health risks. As these risks add up, the theory that milk does the body good crumbles, much like the bones of those who drank milk with false expectations. Before we dig too deep into the dangers of milk,...... middle of paper. .....Snyderman, NL (2009). Food myths that keep us fat and the 101 truths that will save your waistline and maybe even your life. New York: Crown Publishers. Supermarket News. (2011). Data points: decline in milk consumption. Supermarket News, 59 (45), p. 11.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (1994). Effect of whole milk and skim milk consumption on blood lipid profiles in healthy men. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 59(3), p. 612.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). What is iron deficiency anemia? Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ida/USDA. (2011). Food groups. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/dairy.html Whitaker, J. (1998). Milk: good or bad? - Nature's Perfect Food, a second opinion. Retrieved from http://www.gotohealth.com/articles/read.cfm?article_id=30