Top 10, a local coalition committed to improving the health of Indianapolis residents, recently launched a "Rethink Your Drink" campaign to encourage people to choose drinks without added sugars. The campaign will place a special emphasis on reaching Black and Hispanic parents and teens, who see twice as much advertising for sugary drinks as whites and, therefore, consume more of those drinks.

The typical Hoosier child drinks enough sugary drinks each year to fill the average 30-gallon bathtub.

"Indy's kids are sweet enough," said Rhonda Bayless, executive director of Center for Wellness and Urban Women, a member of Top 10. "None of us would encourage our kids to drink that much sugar, but many of us do so without realizing how much sugar is hidden in many popular drinks."

Sugary drinks include sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices and sweetened teas and coffees.

"Most of us know that sodas contain sugar," Bayless said, "but most of us don't realize how much sugar. Just one 12-ounce can of soda often contains as much as 9 teaspoons of sugar. That's like eating four glazed donuts."

Other drinks - some even marketed as good for you - are also loaded with sugar.

A 20-ounce sports drink also contains approximately 9 teaspoons of sugar, and many fruit drinks are loaded with added sugars.

"The American Heart Association recommends that kids limit added sugars to 25 grams per day (about 6 teaspoons), and almost all sugary drinks are over this daily limit," said Julie Pike, a registered dietician with Riley Children's Health, also a Top 10 member. "In fact, sugary drinks are the largest source of calories and added sugar in kids' diets. Even drinking one sugary drink a day significantly increases the risk for obesity and Type-2 diabetes.

"In Marion County, 40 percent of our youth are either overweight or obese," Pike said. "Certainly, the amount of added sugars, especially liquid sugar, in their diet plays a large role in that."

Too much sugar leads to other problems as well, including higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, Type-2 diabetes and tooth decay.

The "Rethink Your Drink" campaign will compare the amount of sugar in various beverages, highlight healthier drink options and educate parents and youth about how to read nutrition labels to find the amount of added sugar in those beverages.

"Healthier drink options include water and low-fat milk," Pike said. "When you're at the grocery store, take a look at the nutrition facts label on the back of the package. You want the 'added sugar' to be zero.

"And if you're out at a restaurant, opt for water, low-fat milk or unsweetened tea."

The Top 10 coalition's education campaign will run throughout 2021, reaching out to people via community programs as well as social media.