A new health campaign launching today encourages Victorians to swap sugary drinks for water for 30 days to show that a small change can start to make a difference to your waistline, wallet and your smile.
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A new health campaign launching today encourages Victorians to swap sugary drinks for water for 30 days to show that a small change can start to make a difference to your waistline, wallet and your smile.
The H30 Challenge is an initiative of VicHealth that asks people 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.
VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter, said the H30 Challenge is a remarkably simple way to improve health.
“This is about making small lifestyle changes that will benefit Victorians long-term,” Ms Rechter said.
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.
“Our message is clear; you can reduce your risk of life-threatening diseases by making small changes to your daily lifestyle.
“While we encourage all Victorians to drink more water, there is a particular focus on 18 to 34 year-olds, who are some of the highest consumers of sugary drinks.
“Participants may be surprised at just how much sugar these drinks contain. One 600mL bottle of regular soft drink can contain 16 teaspoons of sugar. So if you drink one a day, that’s almost 23 kilograms of sugar a year,” Ms Rechter added.
Nutritionist Lola Berry is lending her support to the campaign. She says the 30-day H30 Challenge is a great way for people to take small steps towards stamping out harmful habits formed over a lifetime.
“Making water your main drink of choice is one of the best things a person can do for good long-term health,” Ms Berry said.
“Reducing sugary drinks and drinking more water helps to maintain a healthy weight, thereby reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes and other serious health conditions. Drinking water is also a no-brainer for fighting tooth decay, especially considering most of Victoria’s tap water contains fluoride. Another bonus is that drinking water can also save you money.”
VicHealth’s H30 Challenge campaign officially launches today and participants can join at any time convenient for them, for a 30 day period.
How to H30
- Sign up at www.h30challenge.com.au
- Choose a start date that is convenient for you
- Switch sugary drinks for water for 30 days and reap the rewards
- You’ll receive regular emails to keep you motivated along the way!
