“Rethink Your Drink” launches in Kent County
Kent County is reporting some alarming rates when it comes to obesity; both in children and adults. A new campaign launched Monday in an effort to curb those numbers, and if you think it’s all about food, think again.
For the sixth year in a row Kent County has been rated the least healthy county in Delaware.
Marianne Carter, the Director of the Delaware Center for Health Promotion at Delaware State University says, “It’s not a claim to fame. It’s a bad thing.”
Thirty three percent of adults in Kent County are obese. That number is higher than the state average which is twenty eight percent.
The numbers look worse for the next generation. Forty percent of children in Kent County are either overweight or obese. “Kent Kids” is stepping in. The non-profit health advocacy group is teaming up with the Delaware Center for Health Promotion at Delaware State University with a new campaign.
Kate Layton, the President of Kent Kids says, “When you take little steps it can mean a big difference in your overall picture of health.”
The campaign is called “Rethink Your Drink.” Instead of targeting junk food, it’s aimed at junk drinks. The campaign encourages kids to ditch sugary sodas and juices and drink water instead.
The campaign includes a display that will be set up in different buildings around the county. The display puts into perspective just how much sugar is in everyday drinks. According to the CDC, the average twenty ounce soda has sixteen teaspoons of sugar, which is two- hundred and forty calories.
The second part of this campaign is a pledge. The pledge is asking Kent County residents to not drink any soda or sugary beverages for thirty days, or at least reduce the amount they consume.
Carter continues, “Usually if people are able to do that for a thirty day period, they think ‘wow’ that’s something I can continue to do.”
Drinking water can affect not only physical health, but mental as well.
Dr. Richa Sharma, with Kaza Medical Group Pediatrics in Dover says, “Obese kids have problems with sleep. They have sleep apnea, snoring, and interrupted sleep. This unrested kid, when he goes to school the next day, is a mess. This leads to attention deficit hyperactivity and academic underachievement.”
However, doctors truly believe this campaign could work in that “rethinking your drink” will indeed put your body in sync.
Kent Kids and DSU health officials say they don’t expect drastic changes in health behavior overnight. However, they expect positive change in the long-term and plan to push awareness heavily for the next several months.
