Drinking
just one 20-ounce soda a day translates to eating 50 pounds of sugar a
year, a New York City health department public education campaign says.
Dr. Thomas Farley, New York City commissioner of health, said a
30-second TV spot will air on major broadcast and cable TV stations
during the next two months as a stark reminder to New Yorkers about how
sugary drinks can lead to obesity, which can cause diabetes, heart
disease, stroke, arthritis and some cancers. The TV spot is complemented
by bilingual subway posters that ask New Yorkers to think about how far
they would need to walk to burn off the calories from drinking just one
sugary drink. For example, to burn off the 650 calories of a medium
frozen vanilla coffee one would need to walk 8 miles. The campaign
encourages New Yorkers to avoid sugary beverages and quench their thirst
with water, seltzer or low-fat milk instead.
