June 16, 2010: Soda-less summer

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON "GREATER BOSTON," TAKING THE FIZZ OUT OF SODA.

THE CITY OF BOSTON'S PLAN TO GIVE UP SOFT DRINKS THIS SUMMER.

PLUS THE RATE FOR TREASURY.

REPUBLICAN NOMINEE KARYN POLITO IS HERE.

AND MAKING THE GREEN WAY MORE APPETIZING.

IS FOOD THE ANSWER?

>> Rooney: GOOD EVENING.

OBESITY RATES EN THE U.S.

HAVE DOUBLED OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND AN ACCOUNT FOR AN ESTIMATED $95 BILLION IN ANNUAL HEALTH CARE SPENDING.

NOW JUST IN TIME FOR COKE AND A HOTDOG SEASON, THE BOSTON HEALTH COMMISSION IS TAKING AIM AT SUGARY SOFT DRINKS.

BUT COULD YOU GIVE UP HAVING A REFRESHING ICE COLD SODA FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER?

THE CITY OF BOSTON IS HOPING TO SPARK A BEVERAGE REVOLUTION THIS SUMMER.

ASKING RESIDENTS TO REVOLT AGAINST SUGAR-FILLED SODAS.

>> JOIN BOSTON'S SODA-FREE CHALLENGE AND REENERGIZE YOUR LIFE.

>> Rooney: THE BOSTON HEALTH COMMISSION IS ASKING RES DEPARTMENTS TO SIGN A PLEDGE TO GIVE UP OR CUT BACK ON SOFT DRINKS FOR THE SUMMER.

NEARLY HALF OF THE ADULTS ARE OVERWEIGHT, AND MINORITY RESIDENTS ALMOST TWICE AS LIKELY TO HAVE WEIGHT PROBLEMS.

THE CAMPAIGN GOT MIXED REVIEWS TODAY ON BOSTON COMMON.

SOME PEOPLE THINK GOVERNMENT PROBABLY HAS BETTER THINGS TO DO.

>> SODA SHOULD BE THE LAST OF OUR WORRIES RIGHT NOW.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SERIOUSLY.

>> SOON THEY'RE GOING TO BE TELLING US WHAT WE CAN EAT.

CAN'T HAVE SALT.

>> Rooney: SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY'LL HAPPILY SIGN THE PLEDGE BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY JOINED THE PEPSI-FREE GENERATION.

>> IT IS NOT THAT GOOD.

>> I DRINK NOW A LOT OF SELTZER AND I MIX JUICES IN THERE.

>> Rooney: AND THEN THERE ARE THOSE MAKING A PITCH FOR GOOD OLD MODERATION.

>> DON'T EAT THE FIVE STACK CHEESEBURGER AND THEN YOU CAN DRINK THE SODA.

>> Rooney: WE'LL DRINK THAT THAT.

JOINING ME NOW ARE ANNE McHUGH, AND CHRIS CROWLEY, THE EXECUTIVE OF POLAR BEVERAGES, AND THE HEAD OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION.

WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.

WHY SOFT DRINKS?

YOU CAN PICK ON A LOT OF THINGS.

COOKIES, BREAD -- WHICH TURNS TO SUGAR.

WHY SOFT DRINKS?

>> SURE.

OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IS A COMPLEX ISSUE.

AND THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT FOODS WE EAT, AS WELL AS ACTIVITY LEVELS, THAT CONTRIBUTE TO IT.

HOWEVER, THERE IS VERY GOOD DATA THAT THE CONSUMPTION OF SODA AND OTHER SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES HAS ABOUT DOUBLED IN THE U.S. IN THE PAST 20 YEARS.

THE AVERAGE ADULT CONSUMES ABOUT 175 CALORIES A DAY --

>> Rooney: OF WHAT?

>> FROM SUGARY DRINKS.

>> Rooney: REALLY?

>> YES.

>> Rooney: IS THAT A LOT?

>> YES, IT IS.

ON A DAILY BASIS, AND THAT'S AN AVERAGE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

ON A DAILY BASIS, OVER THE YEARS, THAT'S, I THINK, AROUND 18 TO 20 POUNDS A YEAR.

AND THAT'S YEAR BY YEAR BY YEAR.

>> Rooney: UNLESS YOU BURN IT OFF.

>> UNLESS YOU BURN IT OFF, SURE.

BUT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT A HALF HOUR OR SO OF MODERATE OR MORE VIGOROUS ACTIVITY, JUST TO GET RID OF THAT A DAY.

>> Rooney: CHRIS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ONE OF THE VENDORS TOLD US -- AND I KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY FEELS A LITTLE PUT UPON, BUT THEY SAID THEY SAW A LOT OF 20-OUNCE BOTTLES, WHICH IS 80 GRAMS OF SUGAR.

NOW THAT'S A LOT.

DID YOU FEEL ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT?

>> AS AN INDUSTRY, WE'RE CHANGING THE WAY WE'RE DOING BUSINESS.

WE'RE OUT OF SCHOOLS, BASICALLY.

WE SELL NO SWEETENED SOFT DRINKS IN SCHOOLS.

YOU CLAIMED 175 CALORIES, AND THAT MAY BE TRUE IN THE SOUTH, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY NOT TRUE FOR NEW ENGLAND.

THE SWEETENED SOFT DRINKS ARE DOWN CONSISTENTLY BY ABOUT 6% A YEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

IT IS BECAUSE OF PEOPLE MAKING WHAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING RIGHT CHOICES.

WE'RE GOING TO FRONT LABELLING, FULL DISCLOSURES.

SO THE CALORIC CONTENT WILL BE ON THE FRONT OF THE LABEL, AND WE'RE LEADING THIS WITH MICHELLE OBAMA'S INITIATIVES.

>> Rooney: WHY IS THIS A SOCIOECONOMIC REASON?

BECAUSE SOFT DRINKS ARE EXPENSIVE?

>> WELL, SOFT DRINKS AREN'T REALLY THAT EXPENSIVE --

>> Rooney: WELL, COMPARED TO WATER.

>> SURE, COMPARED TO WATER.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A FOOD PRODUCT, A BEVERAGE, THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO MEET WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR NATURAL IN CLINATIONS TO WANT A SWEET TASTE.

THAT'S A DESIRE OF HUMANS THAT HAS DEVELOPED OVER IONS, AND SO IT'S A PRODUCT THAT'S GEARED TO THAT.

IT -- JUST SPEAKING OF THIS ISSUE OF THE 20-OUNCE CONTAINERS, YES, THERE IS AN EFFORT THE INDUSTRY IS DOING TO DO FRONT OF THE PACKAGE LABELLING.

THAT'S GREAT.

THE 20-OUNCE CONTAINER IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 2.5 SERVINGS.

SO IT IS 250 CALORIES --

>> Rooney: MEANT FOR MORE THAN ONE PERSON.

>> IT WAS MADE FOR MORE THAN ONE PERSON.

IT IS VERY ATTRACTIVELY PACKAGED.

IT IS SOLD REALLY THAT SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY WILL DRINK THE WHOLE CONTAINER OF.

IT IS HEAVILY MARKETED.

AND WE WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO MAKE OTHER CHOICES.

AND WE WOULD LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT TO BE OFFERING TO PEOPLE THAT INFORMATION.

>> Rooney: GO AHEAD.

>> YEAH.

IT'S ABOUT 3% OF OUR SALES, THE 20-OUNCE PACKAGES.

IT IS A VERY DIFFICULT PACKAGE TO DEVELOP AND SELL.

IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 125 YEARS, AND SUDDENLY WE'RE MAKING EVERYONE FAT.

WE'VE GOT TO TEACH KIDS THE RIGHT INITIATIVES.

CALORIES IN, AND CALORIES OUT ARE THE TRUE ANSWER, AND WE'VE GOT TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND GET KIDS AWAY FROM THE ELECTRONIC SCREENS AND CELL PHONES AND GAMES, AND GET THEM OFF THEIR DUFF AND START EXERCISING.

>> Rooney: DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING PUT UPON, LIKE YOU'RE THE NEW CIGARETTE, THE SOFT DRINKS.

IT HAS BEEN HEAVILY CRITICIZED TO WHAT IT IS DOING TO TEETH.

MOUNTAIN DEW, YOU'VE SEEN THE ROTTEN TEETH.

>> ORAL HYGIENE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

WE SELL NANTUCKET NECTAR AND SNAPPLE, AND THEY CAN DO THE SAME THING.

MILK CAN ROT YOUR TEETH OUT JUST AS QUICKLY AS ANYTHING.

ORAL HYGIENE IS A CRITICAL --

>> Rooney: I GUESS I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU FEEL PUT AROUND?

>> LET'S HAVE A SOFT DRINK-FREE SUMMER OR AN ICE CREAM-FREE SUMMER -- LET'S HAVE A GUN-FREE SUMMER.

>> Rooney: IT DOES FEEL THAT WAY.

>> IT IS AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

TO GET SOME OF THE FACTS OUT THERE.

>> Rooney: WHY NOT ICE CREAM?

>> IN TERMS OF THE INCREASED CONSUMPTION OF CALORIES, SUGAR AND SUGARY DRINKS HAVE BEEN A PRIME INCREASE.

WE'RE DRINKING ON AVERAGE, 175 CALORIES A DAY.

TOTALLY NUTRIENT-FREE.

THERE IS NO HEALTH BENEFIT TO DRINKING SODA, AND THERE IS ACTUALLY EVIDENCE THAT TAKING THOSE NON-NUTRIENT CALORIES IN A LIQUID FORM CAN BE WORSE FOR YOU.

THAT YOUR BODY HAS A DIFFERENT REACTION TO IT.

AND THAT YOUR BODY DOESN'T COMPENSATE IN THE SAME WAY.

ICE CREAM MAKES YOU FEEL FULL.

BUT DRINKING THOSE CALORIES DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE YOU FEEL FULL.

SO IT IS AN ADD-OWN TO THE CALORIES YOU'RE CONSUMING THROUGH FOOD.

OBVIOUSLY, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT FOODS -- PEOPLE SHOULD BE MAKING CHOICES THAT ARE BALANCING THEM.

WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TREATS.

THAT THE GENERAL RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THINK ABOUT 100 CALORIES OF DISCRETIONARY CALORIES A DAY.

>> Rooney: IT DOES SOUND AWFULLY SERIOUS.

YOU'RE JUST SAYING LIGHTEN UP HERE, RIGHT?

>> RIGHT.

CHILL.

AND WE HAVE THE PERFECT ALTERNATIVES WITH POLAR SELTZER, AND WE OFFER PEOPLE THOSE CHOICES, AND OFTENTIMES THEY DON'T CHOOSE THOSE CHOICES.

WE'LL HAVE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE --

>> Rooney: IS IT GOING TO HAVE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ON YOU?

>> WE CAN COMPETE ALL DAY LONG WITH COKE AND NESTLE WATERS.

WHO WE CAN'T COMPETE WITH IS THE GOVERNMENT.

IT IS JUST A LONG CAMPAIGN TO DISCREDIT THIS INDUSTRY.

OBAMA HAS SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO PUT A PENNY TAX ON SOFT DRINKS.

A PENNY IS SOMETHING.

A PENNY IS $250 MILLION TO POLAR.

WE WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS.

THE INDUSTRY WOULD CHANGE.

AND WE HAVE 50 SUMMER JOBS THIS YEAR.

WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON SUMMER JOBS.

WE HAVE 1200 GOOD-PAYING JOBS WITH HEALTH CARE.

AND ALL WE SEE IS THE CITY TRYING TO NAIL US AND THE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO NAIL US.

THE BIGGEST THING THAT THE CITY MAKES MONEY FROM IS PARKING TICKETS.

YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THE CAMPAIGN THEY HAVE.

WE PAY TENS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PARKING TICKETS.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO DOUBLE THAT.

>> Rooney: ALL RIGHT.

>> WE'RE DOING A CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS.

WE THINK THAT IT'S A LIGHT-HEARTED APPROACH, HAVE A SODA-FREE SUMMER.

GO OUT AND ENJOY YOURSELF.

DON'T TAKE ON THOSE EXTRA CALORIES AS YOU'RE BEING ACTIVE.

>> AT LEAST SAY POLAR SELTZER.

>> BE AWARE, AND WE HOPE PEOPLE HEAR THE MESSAGE.

>> Rooney: OKAY, THANKS FOR COMING.

WHEN WE CONTINUE, THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR STATE TREASURER.