• June 2, 2011

A new statewide campaign from a federally funded health group is urging Hawaiians to cut back on sodas and other beverages sweetened with sugar.

The message: "Don't Drink Yourself Fat."  State health officials say the campaign is part of a statewide initiative to reduce obesity and chronic diseas in Hawaii, reports MauiNow.com.

The ads seek to increase residents' awareness of  studies showing sugared soft drinks as the nation's largest contributor to calorie intake levels and strong correlations between consumption of sugary beverages and obesity, said a state health department official. 

Adult obesity in the state rose from 10.8% to 22.9% between 1995 and 2009, and the state spent an estimated $290 million in 2003 on obesity-related medical costs. 

The campaign is being implemented through Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative out of the Maui and Kauai District Health Offices. CPPW is funded by a $3.4 million grant awarded in 2010 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and administered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In January, Hawaiian governor Neil Abercrombie proposed establishing a tax on soda and similar beverages with sugar, but the proposal did not pass.

Although results of studies on the effectiveness of taxing sodas as a means of reducing obesity have varied--and soda makers maintain that such taxes are not effective means of reducing obesity or reducing chronic diseases--33 states already impose such taxes, according to Beverage Daily.