Update: Campaign Against Soda Fizzles (for now) in San Antonio

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In the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions’ 2013 Prevention Status Report, the percentage of Texas adults and high school students who were obese was above the national average. Many health officials point to over-consumption of sugary drinks and sodas as a large factor in the state’s obesity crisis. Because Latino youth tend to drink more sugary drinks daily than their White peers, the need to reduce soda consumption is especially pressing in the Latino community.

In San Antonio, TX, the Metropolitan Health District is kicking-off a new campaign designed to encourage residents to ditch sugary drinks and choose water instead. Health officials are building a marketing strategy for a 3-year campaign that uses all manner of media to raise awareness about the health risks of drinking too much soda and sugary drinks.

Read more about the new campaign.

Update 2/6/15: San Antonio’s anti-soda campaign fizzled before it could even begin when the City required that a representative from the soda industry be included in the planning. According to an article in the Rivard Report, the industry representative took issue with any brand names, messages, or imagery that she perceived as “negative,” despite the fact that these types of messages have been proven to be the most effective at motivating people to reduce consumption. Read more here.