1. Discuss the Slimming Soft Drinks Story with Another Student

Slimming soft drinks

Focus Questions 1. Discuss the Slimming soft drinks story with another student. 2. Why is the mayor of New York City concerned about obesity? EPISODE 18 3. In your own words, describe what he plans to do. 4. What has happened to the size of soft drinks over the years? 26TH JUNE 2012 5. The super-size ban would also affect diet soft drinks. True or false? 6. Apart from soft drinks, what other drinks would be affected? Learning Area 7. Why are some people opposed to the ban? 8. Some drinks that can contain large amounts of sugar are not included in the Health and Physical plan. What are they? Education 9. Do you think super size soft drinks should be banned? Explain your answer. 10. What else could be done to address the obesity problem?

Slimming soft drinks Key learning Ask students to brainstorm a list of food and drinks they consume that contain Students will create a public sugar. Which is the most common food and drink on the list? education campaign to raise Discuss with students what the nutritional value of soft drinks is. What is meant by awareness of the sugar the term `empty calories’? How does it relate to soft drinks? content in some drinks.

Students will be analysing a selection of drinks and calculating how many teaspoons of sugar are in each drink. They will then use the information to create a public education campaign to make people more aware about the sugar content in some drinks.

Sometimes sugar is called something else on the nutrition information on food and drink packaging. Students research what some other words for sugar are. (Fructose, dextrose, sucrose, maltose, corn syrup, honey, glucose, molasses)

Use the nutritional information on drink labels to convert sugar content from grams to teaspoons; 1 teaspoon = 4 grams.

Choose four types of drinks  Soft drink  Juice  Flavoured milk  Other (iced tea, energy drink etc)

Record the: Serving size Sugar (grams) Energy (kilojoules)

What did they find surprising about the results? Students can share their findings in the form of a public education campaign.

© ABC 2012 Discuss with students different approaches that could be taken about the issue. Here are some examples:  Create a cartoon/animation, using celebrities or humour to get the message across or shock tactics.  Include a logo, jingle or gimmick to help get the message across.

Students share their public education campaigns with other students in the school.

8 Related Research Links

ABC Lateline – NYC closer to banning supersize soft drinks http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3524654.htm

Better Health Channel – Sugar http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sugar