Lattes: They Do the Body Good?

The "Got Milk?" campaign was launched in 1993. Its success turned around twenty years of dismal milk sales by promoting the role milk plays in a healthy lifestyle. Over the last 25 years, celebrities and popular cartoon characters alike have donned the infamous milk mustache. The campaign's goal, so it seemed, was to educate the masses. Viewers of both the TV commercials and the print ads were told that their bodies needed milk's calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins D, A, and B12 to fend off a number of ailments: osteoporosis, weight gain, PMS symptoms- to name a few. The ads even address the fear-of-fat mentality that has gripped American society. Such ads typically feature gorgeous female celebs informing women that low-fat and non-fat milk offer the same health benefits as whole milk. No more excuses. No more fear. Milk does everyone's body good. Except of course the lactose-intolerant.

But that 2006 warning-label controversy is for another day. At issue here is the latest Got Milk? print ad. One could even call it the "Starbucks Grande Latte ad". As it features a Starbucks barista wearing his freshly pressed uniform and holding a Grande Latte; and that white, milky 'stache. The traditional paragraph at the bottom of the ad descriptively advertises Starbucks's milky beverages- i.e. the Grande Latte seen above. Apparently latte drinkers will "fall in love at first sip". Not only because of the latte's "frothy goodness", but because the drink will meet half of the day's recommended dairy intake. The conclusion? Drink Starbucks of course.

Why Starbucks and Milk? What does either company offer the other? Starbucks has its massive following and milk has its nutrition. And "Now given how health conscious people are, Starbucks saw this as a great way to get milk in the diet," said Sal Taibi. Mr Taibi is the president of Lowe/New York, the company behind the ad.

People maybe growing more health conscious but are they growing more health smart? Being aware of the need for a healthy lifestyle is one thing. But adopting the latest "health" trends versus schooling oneself in a healthy reality are very different matters.

Starbucks is not the first company with a high calorie menu to partner with the "Got Milk?" campaign. In 2006 Lowe/New York created a Milk ad for Burger King. The BK had just added Hershey's chocolate milk to their menu and wanted all those health conscious Whopper and Kid's Meal eaters to know that their dairy allowance could be met by choosing milk instead of say cola.

Now with the Starbucks ad, one has to wonder if "Got Milk?" is just another marketing campaign driven by profit, regardless of their ads' potentially unhealthy mixed messages.

For years now nutrition experts have been warning people to watch the number of calories in their beverages. Kiyah J. Duffey and Barry M. Popkin of the Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, analyzed data from national surveys dating back to 1965. They published their findings in the November 2007 issue of Obesity. Duffey and Popkin concluded that between 1965 and 2002, calorie consumption from beverages nearly doubled. And by 2002, beverages were "providing a considerable source of daily calories", said Popkin. Smoothies, colas, juices, coffees, teas, so-called health shakes...Every calorie counts. And every calorie adds up.

Responding to the analysis, Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, WebMD's director of nutrition said: "Nowadays you can go to the corner Starbucks and have a cup of hot chocolate for 400-plus calories, so it's not surprising we continue to get more calories from beverages".

In light of these findings and the growing obesity epidemic in the United States, should it not be a cause for concern when the seemingly well-intentioned "Got Milk?" campaign teams with companies such as Burger King and now Starbucks to tout their nutritious message? Even the "Got Milk?" website tells consumers to "go ahead and grab an extra latte a day!" A dangerous message since one Starbucks grande latte contains 190 calories and seven grams of fat- when using 2% milk. And if drinkers do grab an extra? That's 380 calories and a whopping 14 grams of fat. Ironically about the same as a Burger King cheeseburger (330 calories and 16 grams of fat). Add that to a muffin, scone, or croissant, and odds are good that the consumer has met at least half of their recommended daily calorie and fat intake.

True, milk is milk- be it in your coffee or on your corn flakes. But the awareness is different. And it is this lack of awareness that is behind the majority of high-calorie beverage and food consumption. The Starbucks "Got Milk?" ad is simply adding to the confusion of the masses. It plays into the idea that the existence of nutrients (natural or manufactured) makes any food or drink healthy. I.E. Vitamin enhanced soda, beer, and water.