First lady Michelle Obama, known for her concerns that are centered in the health world, is pushing forward another campaign to encourage Americans to drink more water.

In connection to this, she recently led Wisconsin high schoolers in a toast to “the best drink in town” to formally launch her “water drinking” drive pointing out that this was the single best step any American could take for the betterment of his/her health.

“Water is so basic, and because it is so plentiful, sometimes we just forget about it amid all the ads we watch on television and all the messages we receive every day about what to eat and drink. The truth is, water just gets drowned out,” the First lady emphasized.

Plain Water Will Do

Mrs. Obama chose Watertown as the launching spot for the campaign for the nonprofit Partnership for a Healthier America since the said place has been identified due to its exceptional water quality.

The new drive is widely seen as a promotion aimed at the people to get them to drink more water instead of sodas or juices – beverages that are loaded with sugar. However, partnership president and CEO Larry Soler was quick to point out that the campaign is not about promoting water products to consumers nor is it about stressing it over other drinks.

Mrs. Obama had once given pep talks to people in the past urging them to give up drinking sodas and instead drink water in its place. She claimed that her two daughters had been helped a lot after they changed their drinking preferences to water – their state of health has improved. She said that after they began drinking more water, the two girls had become more alert. However, she failed to mention if her kids had made any switch from soda.

Criticisms and Reactions

The First lady’s new campaign is backed by American Beverage Association, the organization which represents soda makers as well as those that make sports drinks, energy drinks, juices as well as bottled water and the International Bottled Water Association.

According to New York University food scientist, Marion Nestle, the campaign has actually helped major soft drinks makers as the decrease in their soda sales had led them to pay more attention in the branding and promotion of their line of bottled water and other non-soda drinks.

“This is a partnership with soda companies to promote their bottled waters,” Nestle stated.

Environmentalists, however, expressed disappointment over the campaign’s lack of concern on plastic bottles, which are usually the carriers used by companies to hold their water brands, which could end up dumped in waterways. They also pointed out the reductions of the funds for public water systems improvement.

Food and Water Watch water program director Emily Wurth pointed out a report that revealed that only a quarter of manufactured plastic bottles get to be recycled, the rest end up clogging public water ways.

She further said that the drive seemed to be working only for the bottled water industry.