Mural Tells East Harlem Locals To Drink Water, Not Sugar

EAST HARLEM, NY — A war on sugary drinks has invaded the streets of East Harlem with new paintings appear on the walls telling locals to drink water.

The New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene unveiled a mural and art exhibit designed to encourage all New Yorkers to avoid soda and other beverages that contain little to no nutritional value – but a lot of sugar.

“Sugary drinks have no place in our diets. They can lead to serious and preventable health problems, like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett as she announced the art display.

The mural was painted onto the Odyssey House fence at 121st Street between Second and Third avenues with more displays inside the Odyssey House, a behavioral health center at 239 E. 121st St.

“Using art to reach out to our treatment community, and neighbors in East Harlem, is one of the ways we encourage people to think about the choices and changes they can make every day to live healthier,” said Odyssey CEO Peter Provet.

In East Harlem, sugary-drink consumption is a notable problem: About 30 percent of neighborhood residents chugged down one or more sugary drinks a day from 2015-16, according to the health department.

A 20-ounce soda contains about 70 or more grams of sugar. That’s almost double the 36-gram added sugar limit per day recommended for men and nearly triple the 25-gram limit for women, according to the American Heart Association.

Beverages are the largest single source of added sugar in the diets of U.S. children and adults, contributing to nearly 50 percent of daily added sugar intake. They are also heavily marketed to youth, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

This could explain why the problem seems bigger for minority children ages 0-5, who reportedly drank these beverages at rates three to four times higher than white children from 2015-16, the neighborhood health department said.

“Sugary drinks have no place in our diets. They can lead to serious and preventable health problems, like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett.”

Photo courtesy of the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene