NEW YORK, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A 20-ounce serving of soda contains the equivalent of 16 packets of sugar, a public awareness campaign in New York, backed by city officials says.
The New York City health department's new ad is part of a continuing effort to encourage reducing consumptions of empty calories by showing a poster -- which debuted Monday in the subway system -- that shows a 32-ounce soda contains the equivalent of 26 packets of sugar, and says: "All those calories can bring on obesity, calories and heart disease."
"Sugary drinks shouldn't be a part of our everyday diets," Dr. Thomas Farley, New York City health commissioner says in a statement.
"Soda has fueled the obesity epidemic as portion sizes have grown and marketing of these products has intensified. We still have a long way to go to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, but it's encouraging to see that New Yorkers are starting to move away from these products."
The city's annual study of health and behavior among adults in the five boroughs says daily consumption of sugary beverages fell from 36 percent in 2007 to 32 percent in 2009, a decline of 12 percent, Farley says.
"Few of us would knowingly eat that much sugar in one sitting, let alone feed it to our kids," Farley says. "This campaign raises a compelling question: If you wouldn't eat it, why drink it?"
