Alameda County Urges Residents to Launch On a Soda-Free Summer

Hurrah for the folks at the Alameda County Public Health Department, which just launched the Soda-Free Summer campaign, designed to awake people to the dangers of sugary fizzy drinks and the benefits of healthy alternatives

The California community points out that soda is the # 1 source of sugar in the American diet and that one 20-ounce bottle of soda each day for a year can lead a a 25-pound weight gain.

The progressive Alameda Public Health Department also is inviting residents to enter a raffle by Aug. 31, 2007 to win a $500 healthy shopping spree — if they sign a pledge to make this a soda-free summer. (Now that’s a cool idea!)

"It’s time to rethink the drink," Diane Woloshin, director of nutrition services, told reporter Rebecca Vesely, who wrote an article that ran in both InsideBayArea.com and the Oroville Mercury Register..

Alameda County health officials are even pointing out that some drinks advertised as juice actually contain a lot of sugar. (The California folks are so right on — that’s exactly one of the things I point out in my book SUGAR SHOCK!)

Instead of reaching for a soda, Alameda County health officials are encouraging residents to choose other alternatives such as water, non-fat milk or sugar-free iced tea. (I’m not a fan of the recommendation to choose diet soda "once in a while.")

Now get ready for some uncanny aspects of this campaign given the title of my book, website and blog.

Alameda’s Woloshin says that the "theme of the campaign is `sugar shock’ because some of this information is really shocking to people."

What a cool theme, eh?! (I wonder — do the Alameda County folks know yet about my book SUGAR SHOCK!?)

Wait, that’s not all. In trying to educate people about sugary drinks, the Alameda County officials even provided some stats about soda that they’re calling sugar shockers. (Whoah, talk about psychic — I use the exact same prhase, "SUGAR SHOCKERS!," in sidebars for my book SUGAR SHOCK! Guess great minds do think alike!)

Anyhow, thanks to Google Alerts for letting me know about this wonderful program via Rebecca Vesely’s article in both InsideBayArea.com and the Oroville Mercury Register.

It’s time for me to track down the people in Alameda County. Clearly, they need to know about my book and work!