"It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and honorably and justly, and it is impossible to live wisely and honorably and justly without living pleasantly."
I just saw this video from NYC Health Department called "Pouring on the Pounds."
What do we think about this?
From the press release:
Last summer, the Health Department asked New Yorkers a bold question: Are you pouring on the pounds? The question – accompanied by an eye-catching image of a soft drink turning to blubber as it gushes into a tumbler – has appeared on subway posters, educational brochures and websites since the campaign started in August. Now comes the sequel – a cheeky Internet video that uses similar imagery to show how the empty calories in sugary beverages can add up. Over the course of a year, drinking one soda a day can make you 10 pounds fatter, fostering obesity and contributing to health problems such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.
“Sugary drinks shouldn’t be a part of our everyday diets,” said Dr. Thomas Farley, New York City Health Commissioner. “This video is playful, but its message is serious. Sugar-sweetened beverages are fueling the obesity epidemic, and obesity is disabling millions of New Yorkers. If this campaign shifts habits even slightly, it could have real health benefits.”
The new video can be seen at nyc.gov/health. The Health Department is also posting it on YouTube – www.youtube.com/drinkingfat – in the hope that people will share it with friends and relatives.
Americans now consume an average of 200 to 300 more calories each day than we did 30 years ago. Nearly half of that increase comes from sugar-sweetened drinks which can pack as many as 16 teaspoons of sugar in a single 20-ounce bottle. The Health Department’s 2007 Community Health Survey found that more than 2 million New Yorkers drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage each day – adding as much as 250 empty calories to their diets.
I would say, since governments are charged with footing the bill for health (ultimately), that they should have a role. If they aren't going to regulate the food industry's advertising, they are going to come out with campaigns that are equally compelling.
This is disgusting, but may very well be effective.
Would these Americans be willing to pay the true cost of food? Food from unsubsidized corn and soy and including the externalities of the health care costs and environmental damage?
They certainly are willing to spend money of TV ads. This one makes me want to go camping with some Big Red.
Note the coalition members:
Coalition Members 7-Eleven, Inc. Advantage Vending Equipment Alabama Beverage Association Alabama Grocers Association Alcan Packaging Allen Beverages, Inc. American Advertising Federation American Beverage Association Americans for Prosperity Arizona Beverage Association Arkansas Beverage Association Arkansas Grocers and Retail Merchants Association Bernick’s Beverages and Vending Beverage Association of Mississippi Beverage Association of Tennessee Beverage Association of Vermont Beverage Truck & Trailer, LLC Brinker International C. C. Clark, Inc. California-Nevada Soft Drink Association Can Manufacturers Institute Canada Dry Bottling Co. of New York Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. Carolinas Food Industry Council Chesterman Company Clark Beverage Group Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated Coca-Cola Bottling Co. High Country Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United, Inc. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Fort Wayne, IN Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Minden, Inc. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Winona, MN Coca-Cola Bottling Works, Inc. Coca-Cola Company, The Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. Colorado Beverage Association Colorado Retail Council Connecticut Food Association Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works, Inc. Corn Refiners Association Cornelius Council for Citizens Against Government Waste Cowan Systems, LLC Coyote Bait & Tackle Darden Restaurants, Inc. Domino’s Pizza Dr Pepper Bottling Company of Dublin Dr Pepper-Royal Crown Bottling Co. Dr Pepper Snapple Group Enterprise Leasing Company of Georgia Entravision Communications First Choice Vending Florida Beverage Association Florida Maritime Leadership Coalition Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Food Industry Association Executives Food Marketing Institute G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Georgia Agribusiness Council Georgia Association of Convenience Stores Georgia Beverage Association Georgia Chamber of Commerce Georgia Food Industry Association Georgia Retail Association Georgia Restaurant Association Global Closure Systems OBRIST Americas Graphic Packaging International, Inc. Great Dane Trailers Grocery Manufacturers Association Hispanic Media Council Hoosier Beverage Association Idaho Soft Drink Association Illinois Beverage Association Illinois Food Retailers Association Illinois Retail Merchants Association Independent Buyers’ Co-op Indiana Grocery and Convenience Store Association Indiana Restaurant Association Institute for Liberty International Dairy Foods Association International Dairy Queen, Inc. Iowa Beverage Association Kansas Beverage Association Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association Kentucky Beverage Association Kwik Trip, Inc. L & E Bottling Company Lakeside Pepsi-Cola Lancer Corporation LinPepCo Partnership Louisiana Beverage Association Louisiana Retailers Association Mack II, Inc. Maine Beverage Association Maine Restaurant Association Maryland Retailers Association MD/DC/DE Beverage Association Massachusetts Beverage Association MeadWestvaco Corporation MEI, Inc. Meridian Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Mexican American Grocers Association Michigan Chamber of Commerce Michigan Food and Beverage Association Michigan Grocers Association Michigan Soft Drink Association Mid-Wisconsin Beverage, Inc. Minges Bottling Group Minnesota Beverage Association Minnesota Grocers Association Mississippi Automatic Merchandising Association Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association Missouri Beverage Association Missouri Retailers Association Montana Beverage Association National Association of Convenience Stores National Association of Manufacturers National Association of Theater Owners National Automatic Merchandising Association National Confectioners Association National Council of Chain Restaurants National Grocers Association National Restaurant Association National Supermarket Association National Taxpayers Union Neighborhood Market Association Nebraska Beverage Association Nebraska Retail Federation Nei Bottling Group, Inc. New Hampshire Grocers Association New Hampshire Soft Drink Association New Jersey Food Council New Mexico Beverage Association North Carolina Beverage Association North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association North Carolina Retail Merchants Association North Dakota Grocers Association Ohio Chamber of Commerce Ohio Council of Retail Merchants Ohio Grocers Association Ohio Restaurant Association Ohio Soft Drink Association Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative Oregon Soft Drink Association Original Roadhouse Grill Pace Global Energy Services Pennsylvania Beverage Association Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association Pennsylvania Restaurant Association Pepsi Bottling Group Pepsi Bottling Ventures PepsiAmericas, Inc. PepsiCo, Inc. Pepsi-Cola & National Brand Beverages Pepsi-Cola of Florence, LLC Pepsi-Cola of Rochester, MN Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Association Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Central VA Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Hastings Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Hickory, NC Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of LaCrosse Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Logansport Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of New York Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Pipestone, MN Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Roxboro, NC Pepsi-Cola Decatur, LLC Pepsi-Cola Dr Pepper Bottling Co. Pepsi-Cola of Northeast Wisconsin Quail Mountain, Inc. Quality Retail Services, Inc. Rehrig Pacific Company Retail Merchants of Hawaii Rexam, Inc. Rhode Island Beverage Association Ron’s Towing, Inc. SandenVendo America, Inc. Seneca Wholesale Co., Inc. Sherm’s Thunderbird Markets, Inc. Snack Food Association South Carolina Beverage Association South Dakota Beverage Association Streva Distributing Co. of New Iberia, Inc. Sun Drop Bottling Co. Swire Coca-Cola Temple Bottling Company Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association Texas Beverage Association Texas Grocery and Convenience Association Texas Roadhouse Towerwall, Inc. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Utah Beverage Association Varsity Beverage Venmart, Inc. Vermont Grocers’ Association Virginia Beverage Association Virginia Chamber of Commerce Vitro Packaging, LLC Walton Beverage Company West Virginia Beverage Association West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers Association Western Kentucky Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Inc. Wilson Corporation Wisconsin Beverage Association Wisconsin Grocers Association Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association Wisconsin Restaurant Association WP Beverages, LLC Wyoming Beverage Association Yum! Brands, Inc.
"Alabama has given its 37,527 employees a year to start getting fit — or they’ll pay $25 a month for insurance that otherwise is free.
Alabama will be the first state to charge overweight state workers who don’t work on slimming down, while a handful of other states reward employees who adopt healthy behaviors."
Since overweight America is one of the biggest taxes on the health care system, I don't think this is such a bad idea. What do you think?
