WASHINGTON 鈥� Pop into any number of taquerias, cafes and restaurants in Maryland鈥檚 Langley Park neighborhood, and you may notice something missing while you peruse the menu: a glass of ice-cold water.
鈥淯sually, when you go to restaurants, they don鈥檛 serve you water when you sit down, here in Langley Park,鈥� said Uri Colon-Ramos, an assistant professor in George Washington University鈥檚 Department of Global Health.
鈥淵ou have to ask for it, and when you do, they bring you bottled water, and it鈥檚 $3 or higher.鈥�
Colon-Ramos explains that in the predominantly Latino community, some residents and business owners don鈥檛 trust the area鈥檚 water quality. Others think tap water has a funny taste.
Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure: the slight of the tap is perpetuating an unhealthy trend. Rather than shelling out the money for a bottle of water, most customers opt for a horchata, tamarindo or soft drink 鈥� 鈥渟omething that actually tastes like something, and is a little bit cheaper,鈥� Colon-Ramos added.
鈥淎nd sugar drinks are the one factor in the diet that鈥檚 a strong contributor to childhood obesity and also to diabetes.鈥�
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanic people are more likely to die from diabetes than non-Hispanic whites; and 77 percent of Latino adults and 38.9 percent of Latino children ages 2 to 19 are .
Moreover, Ramos says sugar-sweetened drinks are marketed more to Latinos than any other racial or ethnic group.
But this summer, a team of public health professionals are hoping to reverse these less-than-sweet statistics with a new program, , which takes the spotlight off sugary beverages and puts it back on water.
Through Oct. 31, five different eateries in Langley Park, ranging from fast-casual concepts to sit-down restaurants, are offering special-priced combo meals that include a free bottle of water. Colon-Ramos says the goal is to promote healthier habits and to create more of a demand for water.
鈥淚n this region, we know that Latino youth, for example, more than 30 percent are consuming a sugary drink a day,鈥� Colon-Ramos said.
鈥淔orget weight gain; [sugary drinks] are associated with a number of other cardio-metabolic risks that even if you don鈥檛 gain weight, it鈥檚 affecting your health.鈥�
She鈥檚 hoping the appeal of saving a few dollars on the specials will save a few lives down the road.
Don Ciro Castro, owner of the Salvadoran restaurant Puente de Oro, joined Water Up! because he viewed it as a good marketing move. His special combo has been advertised throughout Langley Park in the paper, on the radio and on social media.
Castro says at the same time, he wants to see his community get healthy.
鈥淲e have [to get accustomed] to it, and then it鈥檚 going to become natural for everybody to drink water,鈥� he said.
At his restaurant, Castro is offering customers a large plate of pollo a la brasa, beans, rice and salad, plus a bottle of water for $10. For $6, diners at Rico鈥檚 Ice Cream can get a chicken, mozzarella and arugula crepe, plus a bottle of water. And El Amate Restaurant is featuring a plate of salmon with rice, beans and vegetables, plus a bottle of water for $14.
Water Up! launched July 1 and runs through Oct. 31. Colon-Ramos says researchers are collecting sales data weekly. She hopes the results will encourage business owners to consider all the benefits of promoting water, including the bottom line.
鈥淲e want to be able to attract other restaurants by showing them that this is a good decision for them too,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we hope to see, eventually, how this contributes to an impact in diabetes prevention.鈥�
