CHENANGO COUNTY – Each March, National Nutrition Month is celebrated to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound habits. Small changes to your daily eating or drinking habits can make a positive difference to your health. The Chenango County Health Department 2019 health campaign encourages you to “Rethink Your Drink, Chenango: Drink Water.”

Drinking water is important for overall health and well-being. It is a simple change that anyone can make in their daily lives that can greatly change overall health for the better.

Heart Disease is the number one cause of premature death in Chenango County, ranking #1 in NY State. Four out of ten adults living in Chenango County are obese. This high incidence of obesity directly affects health outcomes such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Chenango County ranks #4 for its rate of hospitalization with diabetes as primary diagnoses. 35% of our residents suffer from high blood pressure. Three out of five children are affected by tooth decay. The numbers tell us that we have a lot of work to do to achieve better health.

Drinking water can reduce your risk for the following conditions: Obesity, Dental Caries, Heart Disease, Stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, Liver Disease, and Kidney Disease.

Drinking water is a healthy alternative to sugary drinks such as soda, fruit drinks, energy drinks or sports drinks. Many of these types of drinks contain more sugar than people often realize, giving them unwanted extra calories and causing tooth decay. Popular soda brands contain approximately 15-18 teaspoons of sugar in one 20 ounce bottle and 275 calories.

Some sports drinks, iced teas and flavored waters that people often view as healthier alternatives to soda contain 8-12 teaspoons of sugar in one 20 ounce bottle and 160 calories. It is very important to read labels when choosing these drinks.

Drinking one 12 ounce soda a day can lead to a weight gain of 15 pounds a year.

The Chenango County Health Department will be doing a variety of education and awareness this year focused around “Rethink your drink: Drink Water,” visiting medical providers, educating community partners, creating displays, posters and print materials, along with radio spots and variety of other activities. All new parents will receive information about drink recommendations by mail, including when to introduce juice and how much. Here is a short list of some of those tips:

• No juice for under 12 months old, unless recommended by your child’s doctor

• Limiting to 4 ounces of juice per day for 1-3 year olds, 6 ounces of juice per day for 4-6 year olds and 8 ounces of juice per day for 7 years old through adulthood.

• Exclusive breastfeeding is encouraged and recommended for 6 months and continued to 1-2 years of age.

• Toddlers should not be given juice or sugared drinks from bottles or sippy cups that allow them to easily drink throughout the day. Constant exposure of sugars on the teeth leads to decay.

• Children should be encouraged to eat whole fruits that provide more benefits and dietary fiber than juice.

• Add fruit to water to make it more appealing such as lemon, cucumber, berries, or mint.

• Only use 100% fresh or reconstituted fruit juice when given.

• Order water when you eat out or when you have fast food. It is often given for free.

The purpose of the National Nutrition Month Campaign is to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of good nutrition. You can start by choosing more water. Your body depends on water to survive, making up 60 percent of your body weight. It helps to get rid of waste, regulate temperature, lubricate joints, make healthy skin, and protects sensitive tissues. Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work properly. The Chenango County Health Department encourages you to make a small change for your health and “Rethink your drink: Drink Water, Chenango.”

For more information visit the following websites: www.eatright.org, www.cdc.gov/nutrition, and www.choosemyplate.gov.