Infants and children produce enzymes that break down lactose, the sugar found in breast milk and cow's milk, but as we grow up, many of us lose this capacity. Lactose intolerance is common, affecting about 95 percent of Asian Americans, 74 percent of Native Americans, 70 percent of African Americans, 53 percent of Mexican Americans, and 15 percent of Caucasians. Symptoms include upset stomach, diarrhea, and gas.

(1) Our AMA and its Minority Affairs Section will: (a) encourage the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to include culturally effective guidelines that include listing an array of ethnic staples and use of multicultural symbols to depict serving size in their Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Food Guide; (b) seek ways to assist physicians with applying the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate food guide in their practices as appropriate; (c) recognize that lactose intolerance is a common and normal condition among many Americans, especially African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans, with a lower prevalence in whites, often manifesting in childhood; and (d) monitor existing research and identify opportunities where organized medicine can impact issues related to obesity, nutritional and dietary guidelines, racial and ethnic health disparities as well as assist physicians with delivering culturally effective care.

(2) Our AMA will: (a) propose legislation that modifies the National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1758, so as to eliminate requirements that children producedocumentation of a disability or a special medical or dietary need in order to receive an alternative to cow's milk; and (b) recommend that the U.S. Department ofAgriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services clearly indicate in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other federal nutrition guidelines that meatand dairy products are optional, based on an individual's dietary needs.