Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, November 14, 2013
Health Dept: 60% of Hawaii Teens' Drinking is Less Sugary
By News Release @ 3:30 PM :: 4422 Views :: Health Care, Taxes

STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RELEASES DATA ON TEEN-FOCUSED OBESITY PREVENTION CAMPAIGN

News Release from Hawaii DoH November 13, 2013

HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) today released evaluation data from its nationally recognized Rethink Your Drink campaign, a teen-focused campaign that ran statewide earlier this year urging teens to switch from sugary drinks like soda and sports drinks to water and other healthier beverages.

Due to the campaign’s overwhelming success, DOH is re-launching and will run it through February 2014, with the goal of reaching 100 percent of Hawaii teens. This campaign is part of a comprehensive set of interventions being implemented by the state to address Hawaii’s obesity epidemic.

“Reducing the amount of empty calories that our children and teens consume through sugary drinks is critical to the Abercrombie Administration’s efforts to curb obesity in our state. Rethink Your Drink has had a significant impact on behavior change among our teens,” said Health Director Loretta Fuddy. “This type of public education is essential to improving health and wellness, as it gives teens the information they need to make healthy choices in their everyday lives.”

A survey of more than 600 teenagers demonstrated that the campaign reached 54 percent of teenagers throughout Hawaii, and 60 percent of teens who saw the ads reported drinking less sugary drinks as a result of seeing them.

The survey also shed light on the amount of sugary drinks being consumed: nearly half (46 percent) of Hawaii teens drink beverages containing sugar on a daily basis, averaging 8.6 sugary drinks per week — showing teens consume more than any other age group. This amounts to about 1300 extra calories each week that have no nutritional value, representing a substantial caloric contribution to teens’ diet. Three out of five teens reported purchasing sugary drinks for themselves during the past week, meaning that teens are making their own decisions with regards to beverage consumption.

Currently, one in four high school students and one in two adults in Hawaii are overweight or obese.

Director Fuddy added: “Empowering our keiki in the fight against obesity is essential—they know how to engage their peers. We are happy to have had the thoughts and opinions of youth lead this campaign. To see the influence of their participation within their institution has been amazing. My hope is that this movement spreads to impact teens throughout Hawaii.”

Hawaii’s Rethink Your Drink campaign was recognized by the National Public Health Information Coalition, winning two Gold Awards and one Silver Award for Excellence in Health Communications. The campaign re-launch will consist of public service announcements on television and print ads displayed in malls throughout the state. In addition, movie theater ads will feature student-produced public service announcements from the 2012 Olelo Youth XChange video competition.

Reducing the consumption of sugary drinks is a nationally recommended strategy for decreasing obesity.

###

SA: Teens cutting back on sugary drinks, health officials say

Lesson: Education works.  Who needs a soda tax?

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT