First-ever survey of sugary drink consumption in the region paints troubling picture, especially for our youth.

The first-ever survey of local sugary drink consumption, which was previewed in the Weekly in yesterday’s cover story, was unveiled this afternoon at the Monterey County Health Department, and its findings are cause for alarm.

The results of the survey—which was conducted in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties between May and July 2012 by the Nutrition and Fitness Collaborative of the Central Coast—showed Monterey County residents consume the most sugary drinks relative to water of the three counties, with 1.5 glasses of a sweetened beverage consumed for every one glass of water. San Benito County came in at 1.3 glasses of a sweetened beverage, and Santa Cruz County at 0.9.

Monterey was the only county in which children ages 1-10 were included in the survey, and the numbers in that age group signal a worsening obesity playing out in slow motion: Within a 24-hour period, 64 percent consumed at least one sweetened tea or fruit-flavored beverage, 56 percent at least one blended drink, 48 percent a regular soda, 44 percent a sports drink, 25 percent at least one diet soda and 20 percent at least one energy drink.

Most surprising, perhaps, was that 34 percent the children reported drinking at least one coffee beverage in the last 24 hours.

As for the healthier choices, 82 percent of the county’s children reported consuming water in the last 24 hours, 75 percent for milk and 66 percent for pure fruit juice.

State Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, and County Supervisor Jane Parker spoke at today’s event, as did the health department directors of each of the three counties—Lisa Hernandez (Santa Cruz), Edward Moreno (Monterey) and Anju Goel (San Benito).

“We cannot continue in this vein where we cannot expect long, healthy lives for ourselves or our children,” Goel said.  “The solution is one word, and that’s water.”

Hernandez shared a grim statistic not included in the report: In Santa Cruz county, 69 percent of Latinos are obese, compared to 51 percent of whites. Those number only increased in the other counties. In Monterey County, 68 percent of Latinos are obese, compared 58 percent of whites, and in San Benito County 87 percent of Latinos are obese compared to 58 percent of whites.

“What we know about obesity has been a concern to me and the health offices around the state,” she said. “The sugar added to drinks not only increases obesity, it contributes to diabetes and high blood pressure.”

Monning spoke last, and took the opportunity to further explain his thinking behind SB 203, a bill he introduced to the state senate this year that would require warning labels to sugar-sweetened beverages which contain 75 calories or more per 12 ounces. The label would read: “STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.”

A fact sheet his office distributed indicates that in California, 19 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds, 32 percent of 6-to 11-year-olds, 65 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds consume more than one sugar-sweetened beverage per day.

“These warning labels provide choice,” Monning said. “As a government we have a duty to protect the health and welfare of residents of our state and nation.”

Monning closed with a call to action, one echoed by a some of the other speakers.

“It’s very simple: rethink your drink,” he said. “We do enjoy safe drinking water, so let’s promote its use.”

The full report from NFCCC can be seen found on the county health department website.