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Hoping to get people to reduce their consumption of sugary beverages in Alton, Illinois, The Alton Memorial Hospital is asking all staff and patients to “Rethink Your Drink”.
The “Rethink Your Drink” is a national campaign that is remarketed by communities, schools, organizations and cities to help educated consumers of the added sugars in all drinks.
Nurse champions within the hospital are now who are working as part of the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity (IAPO) with the mission of the campaign to lead people to better health by drinking less sugary sweetened beverages like sodas and educate residents to cut back on drinks that have 12 grams (3 teaspoons) or more of sugar per 12 fluid ounces.
An AMH parish nurse, Eileen Cheatham has taken the educational display and campaign materials to several health fairs to educate children and parents about how sugary beverages increase dangerous health risks like unhealthy weights, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, and heart disease.
Cheatham told Alton Telegraph,”One study shows that the odds a child will become obese increase by 60 percent with each additional 12-ounce serving of soda per day.”
Sugary beverages make up 46% of added sugar in the American diet, and studies show Latino kids often drink more sugary beverages than their peers, for this reason, it is vital for all children to reduce sugary drinks in their diet to help reduced the risk of diet-related diseases.
Examples of healthy lifestyle choices and diet choices should be encouraged by all hospitals for their patients, staff and visitors. Many hospitals, in fact, are joining the movement to reduce sugary drink consumption including hospitals in Elgin, Ill., Faribault, Minnesota, San Francisco, Calif.,, Ann Arbor Michigan, Dayton, Ohio, Indiana, and more.
To learn more about sugary beverages and the risks associated with them for all kids, click here.
By The Numbers
74
percent
of Latino kids have had a sugary drink by age 2 (vs. 45% of white kids)
