Milk skirmishes  Just how good is chocolate milk for
schoolchildren?  by Kate Lunau  Sugary junk food or nutrition-
packed snack? That question’s on a lot of minds as chocolate
milk gets an image makeover: it’s now being promoted by the
American dairy industry as a healthy choice for kids. In U.S.
schools, flavoured milks (like chocolate or strawberry) account
for about 70 per cent of all the milk kids drink. So, when
concerns about obesity prompted some to take them off cafeteria
menus, the industry was quick to respond: it rolled out a
campaign, called “Raise your hand for chocolate milk,” including
a petition, a Twitter feed, and slick ads with actress Rebecca
Romijn. Like plain milk, flavoured milk offers nine essential
nutrients, the campaign notes, “plus the taste-appeal kids go
for.” While the chocolate kind has more sugar (roughly the same
as a glass of orange juice), the campaign calls this an
“acceptable trade-off,” noting that over half of all teens
aren’t getting enough calcium, risking their bone