Metro Gainesville collaborative launching campaign against childhood obesity

GAINESVILLE - You've likely heard the stats: Georgia has the second-highest childhood obesity rate in the country. Nearly 40% of its children are overweight or obese. This generation of kids may be the first to have a shorter life span than their parents. But did you know that the largest source of added sugar in kid's diets isn't cake, cookies or candy? It's drinks.

To attack the problem in metro Gainesville, United Way of Hall County convened local community organizations to discuss how to take on this complex issue.

That effort produced a public awareness campaign to reach children and families -- with a focus on an age group where progress could be tracked in the years to come, the 0-5 year old age group. The campaign will reach families in schools, early childcare centers, physician's offices, the community and more. Based on a program from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, "Rethink Your Drink" is designed to educate our community on the amount of sugar and calories in many commonly consumed beverages. For example, a regular 20-ounce soda contains 65 grams of sugar

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