Healthy Diet Drop Whole Milk from ‘Maha’ Recommendations: Physicians Committee

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has suggested to the Make America Healthy Again (Maha) Commission to drop the whole fat milk option in schools as it would put the children’s cardiovascular health at risk.

Washington, D.C./USA – The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has asked the Make America Healthy Again (Maha) Commission to modify its Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy so as not to put children’s cardiovascular health at risk with full-fat milk in schools. The doctors group also says that Maha should not ban all processed foods but rather should educate Americans about the difference between healthful and unhealthful processed foods.

The Maha report, which was released in May, outlined four potential drivers behind the rise in childhood chronic disease, including “poor diet.” The Physicians Committee agrees that food and beverage choices are paramount, calling for a shift away from meat and dairy products, including whole milk, and toward fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

“Instead of addressing real changes to provide healthier school meals, the Maha Strategy is pushing whole milk at the expense of children’s health,” says Physicians Committee President Neal Barnard, MD. “The federal government should be putting less saturated fat on school lunch trays, not more, and it can do that by making it easier for students to access nondairy beverages and plant-based entrees.”

Research shows that early signs of heart disease, high cholesterol, and other indicators of cardiovascular disease are appearing in children with increasing frequency. Forcing full-fat whole dairy milk back into schools will only cause further health problems.

The Maha Strategy also calls for a government definition for ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently considering. Earlier this month, Dr. Barnard submitted a response to the FDA’s request for information on ultra-processed foods.

“It is not clear that a definition of UPFs is needed,” wrote Dr. Barnard, who recently co-authored research on processed food published in Jama Open Network. “However, if one is developed, it is essential that the question of what constitutes a UPF is kept separate from the question of which UPFs are healthful and which are unhealthful. Different foods have very different health effects, and many so-called “ultra-processed” foods are healthful and serve public health needs.”

A Harvard University study, for example, showed that animal-based products were associated with 44 % increased risk of diabetes, while ultra-processed cereals were associated with 22 % reduced risk.

“All animal products are processed,” says Dr. Barnard. “Farmers feed corn or other feed grains to animals, using the animals’ bodies essentially as machines to convert grains into meat, dairy, and eggs. So, chicken breast or pork chops are among the most heavily processed foods there are.”

The Maha Strategy comes as the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are preparing to release the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In December, the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee decided that evidence was not sufficient to warn against ultra-processed foods in the Dietary Guidelines.

The Physicians Committee says the Maha Strategy is correct in recommending that hospitals provide healthier food—which the doctors group says should focus on fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans—and for recommending increased nutrition education in medical schools.

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