The New York City Health Department is taking a new angle on addressing the obesity epidemic by creating ads and television commercials that state, “Sugary drinks can bring on obesity, which can lead to diabetes and risk factors for heart disease” with the headline, “Your Kids Could be Drinking Themselves Sick.”
The ads, part of the Pouring on the Pounds campaign, will run for three weeks and encourage New York residents to replace sugary drinks with water, seltzer, unsweetened tea, fat-free milk, or fresh fruit. “Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and in New York City and it has, in turn, fueled the diabetes epidemic,” stated New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, MD.
A couple years ago New York City tried unsuccessfully to limit the size of sugary beverages, so it is clear that this is an issue close to their hearts. I have to say, they are not far off. Sugar-sweetened beverages—even those “healthy” fruit juices—are not the innocent drink you may have thought they were. I agree with their message in these ads. Let’s hope they make the right kind of impact.