When it comes to healthy living, sugar has become public enemy number one, and for good reason.
Sugar has been linked to numerous negative health outcomes like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and of course something your dentist has been warning you about pretty much your entire life – tooth decay. Unfortunately, sugar is in nearly every prepackaged food we consume, not to mention the smorgasbord of vending machine options we find in our office break rooms.
In an effort to curb sugar consumption and hopefully improve the health of staff, Salem Medical Center has announced it’s teaming up with the campaign – NJSugarFreed – to removing sugary drinks from the workplace and encourage more water consumption.
This means pulling not just sodas, but other sugar culprits like juices and energy drinks from office break rooms, meeting spaces and the like.
“As an advocate for healthy living in the community, this initiative makes sense to us. We are proud to join the cause and help spread the word – and hopefully change behavior,” said Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tammy Torres. “Cutting out sugary beverages will not only help an individual but will contribute to the health of the overall community.”
Heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death in adults in the United States. In New Jersey alone, over a quarter of the population is obese, with an additional 36 percent overweight – both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. These conditions also contribute to high healthcare costs and missed days at work.
Cutting out sugar doesn’t just make health sense, it makes economic sense too.
Drinking water throughout the day has many short-term benefits on health, too. It can keep you more focused at work and stop you from mindlessly eating snacks throughout the day – that includes the sweet treats someone left in the breakroom.
“By encouraging employees to choose water over sugary drinks, we hope to be an example to other employers in New Jersey,” added Dr. Torres.