Sugary drinks and their impact on Black and brown communities
By Alexa Peters
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Did you know that choosing water over sugar-sweetened beverages like soda can empower communities of color and better prepare Black and brown youth to flourish? That is the idea at the crux of “Be Ready. Be Hydrated,” a Seattle-based community-driven campaign created by a minority woman-owned Seattle marketing agency, The Vida Agency, in collaboration with the City of Seattle’s Department of Human Services.
The counter-marketing campaign, funded by income from the City of Seattle’s Beverage Tax, is focused on educating communities of color about proper hydration, the hidden sugars in many soft drinks, and the detrimental impact that excess sugar has on the health of underrepresented communities, particularly youth.
For instance, the campaign explores how youth of color are particularly vulnerable to the deceptive marketing of sugar-laden beverages and their health effects.
“A study by the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found that between 2013 and 2018 spending for sugary-drink advertisements on Spanish-language television went up by 10% and that preschool aged youth saw the most advertisements. The same study also found that Black preschoolers and children see double the number of ads for sugar-sweetened beverages compared with white preschoolers and children. And even worse, Black teens see 2.3 times more ads for these dangerous drinks than their white peers,” said The Vida Agency Account Director, Mafe Cobaleda-Yglesias.
The campaign also brings awareness to the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in communities of color, particularly the Black community, a population that already sees more instances of the disease due to biological, neighborhood, psychosocial, socioeconomic, and behavioral risk factors.
As the campaign states, “It only takes two cans of soda/pop a day to increase your chances of Type 2 Diabetes by 26%. The best way to decrease your chance of Type 2 Diabetes and the other health risks linked to drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is to switch to water.”
By using tactics like sharing research, giving away refillable water bottles, educating about the symptoms of dehydration, vying to add more water bottle refill stations throughout neighborhoods of color, and teaching people how to more accurately read nutrition labels, the campaign aims to counteract the health issues related to excessive sugar intake and fortify the health of people of color.
“You see labels that will say, ‘This will hydrate and help you. No sugar!’ and then you see the added sugar and you’re like, ‘Oh my god,’” said Cobaleda-Yglesias. “My best example is coconut water. I love it. There is natural sugar in the beverage, but sometimes there is added sugar. Added sugar is something that a lot of people don’t read about.”
The idea for this campaign emerged in August of 2019, when the City realized the Seattle Beverage Tax, which took effect January 1, 2018, had generated more income than expected. The City of Seattle’s Department of Human Services decided to request proposals about how to use the excess funds, soliciting bids from local marketing agencies.
The Vida Agency won the bid, but they have not been working on this campaign alone. They’ve had the support of the City of Seattle and ample input from local people of color, particularly the youth who they see as vital to lowering the demand for sugar-sweetened beverages.
“I can tell you that based on the research done we know that companies that make sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, pop, energy drinks, and fruity beverages aren’t really telling how much sugar is in their products and the health consequences linked to that sugar. On top of that, they specifically market to Black and brown youth through social media, celebrity influences, prizes, hip-hop culture, and sports icons,” said Cobaleda-Yglesias.
The Vida Agency was able to get more youth and people of color involved in the campaign by creating a coalition of organizations that work with Black and brown communities. Among the organizations in the coalition is Black Stax, a local performance group with the mission of sharing Black arts & culture, comprised of artists Felicia Loud and Jace Farr.
Farr, along with his 22-year-old daughter, Leija Farr, have become spokespeople for the campaign and appeared on our Morning Update Show on August 7. Jace Farr said the campaign is important to providing people the energy to show up, particularly during this time of racial unrest.
“A lot of times when we talk health and about moving [the Black] community forward, we get stuck on juices and sodas,” said Jace Farr, during the appearance. “We wanted to find a way during this time to keep people hydrated, ready, and energized—naturally.”
To learn more about the “Be Ready. Be Hydrated,” campaign, which runs through September 10, visit the campaign website.