The dairy industry has been trying to get artificial sweetener into milk for 4 years. Industry trade groups now have a proposal that is being considered by the Food and Drug Administration to add artificial sweeteners to regular milk.

These artificial sweeteners have been linked to, among other problems, an increased risk in developing type 2 diabetes. The rationale behind adding the sweeteners to milk? To increase consumption by children. I am all for increasing dairy consumption by our kids, however, with the increase in childhood obesity and the type 2 diabetes epidemic going on in the United States, is this really the direction we need to go?

The dairy industry is asking that producers not have to provide nutritional labeling indicating the milk is artificially sweetened. Milk is the only animal protein that contains sugar -- lactose -- and do we need to really add more sugar to a kid's diet? On average, Americans consume more than 156 pounds of added sugar a year. How much is enough?

ELI BRACKENBURY, West Richland