During the teen years, half of all bone is formed and about 15 percent of adult height is added. This is a critical time for calcium, and by far the most common source for calcium is milk and dairy products, says the National Dairy Council.

The National Dairy Council maintains that the three authors of the article are representatives of an "animal rights organization that has only a 5 percent physician membership." When conducting their review, PCRM authors chose to ignore decades of comprehensive research endorsing dairy's role in bone health, the National Dairy Council charges.

Bone-Building Calcium

Consensus in the scientific and medical community is strong regarding the value of dairy foods in a healthy diet, says the dairy council. Information on the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) current calcium policy statement is available online, the group notes.

The U.S. Surgeon General, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and many other reputable nutrition organizations confirm that milk and milk products are a good way for kids and teens to get the bone-building calcium they need.

In addition, the positive role of milk and milk products in the diet has been established through numerous clinical trials, which are considered the "gold standard" for evaluating cause-and-effect relationships, says the dairy group.

Calcium Crisis?

Kids are in a calcium crisis, contends the dairy council, which argues that they need more milk more often. During the teen years, half of all bone is formed and about 15 percent of adult height is added. This is a critical time for calcium, and by far the most common source for calcium is milk and dairy products, the group says.

When it comes to nutrition, people should listen to health and nutrition experts -- not animal-rights activists, the National Dairy Council believes.

The organization encourage consumers to learn more about sound science on calcium and bone health at the following websites:

1. NICHD's extensive, publicly funded education program called Milk Matters explains why milk is so essential in the development of kids and teens.

2. In 2004, the U.S. Surgeon General called for all Americans to take action to improve and maintain healthy bones. He urged people of all ages to meet daily requirements for calcium and Vitamin D with three glasses of lowfat milk each day to reach this goal.

3. The CDC's longstanding National Bone Health Campaign, Powerful Girls, Powerful Bones, encourages teen girls to get the calcium they need for healthy bones.