The H30 Challenge

The VicHealth H30 Challenge is a campaign encouraging Victorians to make a simple 30-day pledge to replace every sugary drink they would normally drink with water.

The aim of the challenge is to help establish healthier habits, with water becoming the main choice of beverage in the long-term. Sugary drinks include sugar-sweetened soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks, ready-to-drink iced tea, flavoured water and cordial.

The campaign is part of an integrated water initiative with the goal of ‘More Victorians choosing water instead of drinks with added sugar’.  This initiative aligns with the VicHealth Action Agenda for Health Promotion strategic imperative to promote healthy eating, and its three year priority to see more people choosing water and healthy food options.

Sugar sweetened beverages are the largest source of sugars in the Australian diet and high intake of these sugary drinks are associated with poorer health outcomes, such as increased risk of weight gain and increased risk of tooth decay.

With nearly two-thirds of Victorians currently overweight or obese, reducing intake of excess kilojoules through drinks is one way to promote a healthier diet and improved health.

While VicHealth encourages all Victorians to drink more water and less sugary drinks, the H30 Challenge has a particular focus on 18 to 34 year-olds, who are some of the highest consumers of sugary drinks.

The H30 Challenge has been discontinued.