ENERGY UP'S HIGH VOLTAGE LAUNCHES WAR

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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, ENERGY UP! LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING "SHOCKTOBER" CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE AND MOTIVATE NEW YORK CITY TEENS TO CUT OUT SSB'S (SUGAR SWEETENED BEVERAGES) IN ADVANCE OF THE SUGAR-SATURATED HALLOWEEN HOLIDAY WEEKEND
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High Voltage Recently With Rita Cosby



Starting Monday, October 24, 2011, High Voltage is launching an all-out attack to stop teenage sugar addiction and has put together an all-star team to help her cause. Standing behind her organization, Energy Up!, Voltage has enlisted the support of the New York Mayor's Office, The Young Women's Leadership Schools (TYWLS), and Mother Cabrini High School to kick off a five-day health/wellness challenge to be "SSB-FREE". From October 24th-28th, students, faculty and family members will be taking the "Energy Up! SSB-FREE Pledge." Those who pledge agree to not purchase or consume any sugar sweetened beverages during the week, including, but not limited to fruit juices, chocolate milk, soda, sports drinks, and sweet tea.



Throughout the month, High Voltage will be traveling to select schools around New York City to create awareness and excitement to empower private and public schools to take a stand against the sugar industry. During these Shocktober rallies, Voltage presents a powerful demonstration showing teens how to "Sugar Shock" their favorite drinks. This endeavor allows teens to discover how just much sugar they are consuming on a daily basis and when they do, most of them are SHOCKED!

"I've learned a lot about health, wellness and addiction the hard way-and sugar addiction can cause as many health problems as other addictive substances. Respected researchers such as Dr. David Kessler, former head of the FDA tells us that sugar is addictive and actually changes brain chemistry. But not enough people are aware. We don't allow the sale of street drugs or alcohol in our schools but we sell our kids all sorts of SSBs. I hate the fact that today's kids can be ruining their future health and not even know. We're determined to change that," said High Voltage



The month-long "Shocktober" campaign will culminate with an exclusive high-energy dance-dance revolution-style party put together in collaboration with Earn N' Burn on Friday, October 28, 2011 from 3-6 PM. The event, a celebration of the successes of the month and a catapult for future initiatives, will include prizes, celebrities, music, and more!



Sugar Shock Facts:



Sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugars in the diet of U.S. youth. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. Among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, obesity increased from 5.0% to 18.1%.
Diabetes affects 25.8 million people, 8.3% of the U.S. population. The CDC estimates that as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue

For more information and to get involved, surf to EnergyUp.org.


Photo By: James Edstrom


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