First lady Michelle Obama announced her campaign to encourage America to drink more water in Wisconsin, Thursday at Watertown High School in Watertown.
“Since we started the ‘Let’s Move!’ initiative, I’ve been looking for as many ways as possible to help families and kids lead healthier lives,” she said. “I’ve come to realize that if we were going to take just one step to make ourselves and our families healthier, probably the single best thing we could do is simply drink more water.”
Obama was joined by the Partnership for a Healthier America CEO Lawrence A. Soler, actress Eva Longoria and organizations such as American Beverage Association and International Bottled Water Association in Watertown.
According to a White House statement, the White House picked Watertown for the campaign unveiling because every city should be a “water town.”
Obama also commended Watertown for winning awards for the best tasting water in Wisconsin during her remarks.
In spite of the town name, Watertown is home to two soda distributors.
Wis-Pak Inc., a distributor and manufacturer of Pepsi-Cola soft drinks, is the community’s 10th largest employer, according to the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce.
The family-owned 7-Up Bottling Co. has also been in Watertown as a full-service beverage distributor for the past 75 years.
Nonetheless, both Obama and Soler said drinking water is an easy choice for everyone to make.
“Drink just one more glass of water a day and you can make a real difference for your health, for your energy and the way you feel,” Obama said. “And there’s plenty of scientific evidence to back this up.”
The Center for Disease Control reports about one in four children do not drink any water on a given day.
However, a 2010 report on the beverage consumption among high school students says just more than 72 percent of high schoolers drink a serving of water a day, with only 24 percent drinking a serving of regular soda.
The CDC also encourages schools to ensure student access to drinking water throughout the school days.
In addition to Obama’s appearance, many TV shows, such as the Today Show, participated in the campaign by using promotional glasses saying “Drink Up.”
Obama added the campaign will be hosting a discussion next week at the White House to discuss using marketing strategies to promote healthy options for kids.
7-Up Bottling Co. declined to comment on Obama’s appearance, and calls to Wis-Pak Inc. were not returned.
Other cities involved in the campaign include Los Angeles County, Chicago and Houston.
