Houston, TX–(HISPANIC PR WIRE)–March 28, 2007–Obesity continues to be a serious health issue facing millions of Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that 1/3 of Hispanics are considered obese, this problem particularly affects Houston, being that 65% of their residents are obese. While most strategies to address our widening waistlines focus on changing what we put on our plates, an analysis of U.S. beverage habits called What America Drinks(1) suggests we should also take a closer look at what’s in our glasses.
The new report suggests that beverage choice may be the forgotten factor in weight management. Specifically, What America Drinks indicates that what we drink may have a powerful impact on what we weigh. The in-depth analysis found that teenagers and adults (ages 14-49) who drank a lot of nutrient poor sugar-sweetened beverages, like soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and presweetened teas and little milk tended to weighed more, then their peers who drank more milk and fewer sugary beverages less, regardless of calories. Milk drinkers also had better quality diets that were richer in nutrients.
Claudia Gonzalez, a renowned certified Hispanic nutritionist and author of the book “Gordito Doesn’t Mean Healthy”, explains: “Given the high obesity rates among Hispanics and the reality that they are predisposed to certain diseases like diabetes and heart problems, it becomes essential to educate them about the importance of looking more closely at the beverages they intake.”
Drinking milk is an important part of a healthy diet and may help promote a healthy weight. By reducing calories and increasing your physical activity, along with following the government’s advice for consuming adequate amounts of healthy foods like lowfat and fat free milk, you may be more likely to maintain a healthy weight.
Houston Weighs Beverage Choices
To urge Americans to Think About Your Drink, the milk industry has teamed up with dietitians and school nutrition professionals to promote healthier beverage choices, a message being spread from coast-to-coast via the Think About Your Drink Tour, a 75-city grassroots initiative stopping in Houston from March 30 – April 1, 2007.
The events in Houston will be held:
Friday, March 30 at 11:00am –2:00pm, Antioch Park, 1400 Smith St.
*Mayor’s event with KOVE 106.5 and free samples of café con leche
Saturday, March 31at 11:30am – 2:30pm, Downtown Aquarium, 410 Bagby Street
Sunday, April 1 at 11:00am – 1:00pm, Central Market, 3815 Westheimer Road
Sunday, April 1 at 5:00pm – 7:00pm, HEB Grocery, 2660 Fountainview
While in town, the Think About Your Drink Tour will host a series of free events aimed at shining the spotlight on the fact that choosing nutrient-rich beverages like lowfat milk instead of nutrient-poor, sugar-sweetened beverages like soft drinks may be a key strategy to help fight obesity. At events, visitors can:
— Receive a personalized analysis of daily beverage habits
— Speak with a registered dietitian who can explain how nutrient-rich beverages may help maintain a healthy weight
— Sign up for the Think About Your Drink Challenge pledging to drink 24 ounces of lowfat or fat free milk every 24 hours and have a chance to enter Houston’s own Think About Your Drink Sweepstakes to win some fun got milk? prizes
— Get exercise tips from representatives of Curves International, the leader in women’s fitness
— Sample lowfat or fat free milk from Schepps, Oak Farms, Borden and H-E-B.
— Take a souvenir Milk Mustache photo and check out a six-foot glass visual detailing what women, on average, drink each day
— Take home “Sabor Latino”, a limited edition recipe booklet filled with traditional healthy Hispanic recipes.
To learn more about the Think About Your Drink campaign and the findings from the What American Drinks report, log onto ThinkAboutYourDrink.com to find tips and tools to help make better beverage choices. For information in Spanish, visit http://www.2424leche.com, where you’ll find healthy eating tips, recipes and more.
About Milk
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation’s milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The MilkPEP Board runs the national Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk. For more information, go to http://www.thinkaboutyourdrink.com. The tagline “got milk?”(R) was created for the California Milk Processor Board by Goodby Silverstein & Partners and is licensed by the national milk processor and dairy producer groups.
About Curves
Curves offers a 30-minute workout that combines strength training and sustained cardiovascular activity through safe and effective hydraulic resistance. Curves also offers weight management counseling featuring a breakthrough, scientifically-proven method to raise metabolic rate and end the need for perpetual dieting. Gary Heavin, Curves founder and CEO, is the author of several books including, The New York Times best sellers, “Curves: Permanent Results without Permanent Dieting,” and “Curves On the Go.” With more than 7,500 locations and 3 million members worldwide, Curves is the world’s largest fitness center franchise. For more information, please visit http://www.curvesinternational.com.
1. What America Drinks is based on a comprehensive study conducted by ENVIRON International Corporation. The report analyzed data from more than 10,000 Americans ages 4 and older who participated in the government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 and provided reasonable dietary reports of food/beverage intakes.
