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Hospital Staffers Take Pledge To Kick The Soda Habit

DETROIT (WWJ) - Would you be willing to give up pop for 30 days?

That's the pledge staffers at the Detroit Medical Center's Sinai-Grace Hospital are taking for at least the month of November. The "Say No To Soda" campaign kicked off on Wednesday with a pep rally at Sinai-Grace.

Detroit school students were also in the audience, along with William Price, representing the school district's Office of Nutrition.

He sees the campaign as another opportunity to teach students about how to stay healthy.

"For example, we've started a very generous garden program, trying to introduce fresh fruits and vegetables to our young people. We also menu a fresh fruit and vegetable every week at all of our schools," said Prince. So, we understand that it's a challenge, but it's a process. And it's a commitment that we're willing to make for our young people."

Soft drinks are no longer offered in school vending machines or lunch-rooms.

Sinai-Grace President Dr. Reginald Eadie said he knows giving up pop will be a major challenge for many. But, he said, meeting that challenge could help them avoid being overweight or obese.

Dr. Eadie explained that drinking one soda per day for a year, is like eating 30 pounds of sugar.

"Soda pops have anywhere between 60 and almost 20 teaspoons of sugar. If you do the math, with 3,500 calories in the pound ... then yes -- that would be equivalent to 30 pounds in one year," he said.

Also at Wednesday's rally was a spokesman for the Michigan Soft Drink Association who said the soft-drink industry has already reduced the calories it supplies Americans by 20 percent.

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