SAN ANTONIO – A new campaign was launched Tuesday that aims to educate the public about the dangers of consuming too many sugary drinks. "Is Your Drink Sugar-Packed?" hopes to encourage Bexar County residents to make wiser decisions when it comes to their health.
"There's nothing wrong with doing something in moderation that may have sugar," said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. "But there is something terribly wrong when you're over-consuming sugar and the tremendous health consequences of doing that."
Wolff said the campaign is especially important, because Bexar County has a 29 percent obesity rate, and a 19 percent diabetes rate.
The Bexar Healthy Beverage Coalition is behind the campaign, which features videos, posters, and other educational materials.
"Every sector of the community needs to be involved in addressing health," said Charles Knight, with Health Collaborative. "We can't just leave it to the health delivery system to make us well. No, health is our individual responsibility. We need to make wise choices."
According to campaign materials, the average American consumes almost 80 pounds of added sugar per year, with sugary beverages being the top source.