Don't Drink Yourself Fat Campaign

MYFOXNY.COM - New York has another slimy message to get locals to stop drinking soda and other sugary drinks.

The city's Health Department has created another video in its "Are You Pouring on the Pounds?" campaign showing a man drinking a can of jiggly blubber, representing the belly-bulging properties of soda and other sweet drinks and the message: "Don't Drink Yourself Fat."

"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 city calls the new video, posted on YouTube, a "cheeky Internet video… to show how the empty calories in sugary beverages can add up."

City health officials say that drinking even one soda a day can make you 10 pounds fatter, fostering obesity and contributing to health problems such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.

The Health Department points out that one 20-ounce bottle of regular soda can have as many as 250 calories and more than 16 teaspoons of sugar. The department also warns that bottled iced tea isn't much better, with 210 calories and 14-1/2 teaspoons of sugar.

Officials suggest that New Yorkers forgo drinks that pack lots of calories in favor of water, no-calorie drinks such as seltzer, or low-fat milk.

>DRINKING FAT CAMPAIGN