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WEST JORDAN -- West Hills Middle School served up strawberry milk during lunch to every girl in school. "It's really cool, I think it's fun," says Kaylee Sandberg, a seventh-grader at West Hills Middle School.
"I think it's great our administration not only cares about our minds but our bodies too, so we can grow up to be strong," says Haley Hoch, an eight-grader at West Hills Middle School.
The Jordan School District and the Dairy Council of Utah say dairy is the main source of calcium and many teen girls aren't getting enough of it.
Did you know... teenage girls build 80-90% of their bone density by age 18.
"We noticed that the girls in middle schools and promotions weren't consuming enough milk," says Vanessa Richards, dietitian for the Jordan School District.
So, the district launched "drink pink", a campaign promoting the importance of calcium for strong bones and healthy bodies.
"It's such a vital time in their lives, from about nine to 19 is when girls are building, well, all of us, build bone density of our entire lives," says Becky Low with the Dairy Council of Utah.
Posters featuring a female athlete from each high school in the district help remind students to drink milk. Anita Beales, a volleyball player at West Jordan High School, and Desirae Cruse, a basketball player from Copper Hills High School, are both featured on the poster. They say milk is what keeps them on their game.
"We know that we need calcium to keep up our athletic abilities," says Beales.
"I can tell how different my days are when I don't drink it," says Cruse.
E-Mail: aforester@ksl.com
