--- title: First Lady Michelle Obama Gives Year 1 Update on Drink Up Campaign description: “I’m confident that in the coming months and years we will see people across the country drinking more and more water." canonical: https://time.com/3020500/michelle-obamas-soda-water-health-junk-food/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-23T13:10:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:01:03.242Z article:section: Politics og:title: First Lady Michelle Obama Gives Year 1 Update on Drink Up Campaign og:description: “I’m confident that in the coming months and years we will see people across the country drinking more and more water." og:url: https://time.com/3020500/michelle-obamas-soda-water-health-junk-food/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt536ad9a0ee560b9f/69869cb4d0b6f2468d305645/ap319696067708.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4618 og:image:height: 2598 og:image:alt: Michelle Obama og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: First Lady Michelle Obama Gives Year 1 Update on Drink Up Campaign twitter:description: “I’m confident that in the coming months and years we will see people across the country drinking more and more water." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt536ad9a0ee560b9f/69869cb4d0b6f2468d305645/ap319696067708.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Michelle Obama's Pro-Water (Soda Silent) Campaign Makes Waves > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Michelle Obama Promoting Drinking Controversey [Watch (HLS stream): Michelle Obama Promoting Drinking Controversey](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/d1PntGuL.m3u8) (1:37)  _Published 2013-09-13. Some experts say the First Lady's new Drink Up campaign makes false claims about the benefits of drinking more._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 23, 2014 1:10 PM UTC  First lady Michelle Obama, a longtime supporter of healthier eating and physical fitness, is surrounded by children as she expands her push for America to drink more water, at a "Drink Up" event at the White House. First lady Michelle Obama, a longtime supporter of healthier eating and physical fitness, is surrounded by children as she expands her push for America to drink more water, at a "Drink Up" event at the White House. J. Scott Applewhite—AP by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 23, 2014 1:10 PM UTC First Lady Michelle Obama devoted Tuesday afternoon to telling Americans to drink less sugary soda, without actually saying anything bad about sugary soda. It’s been nearly a year since the First Lady launched the “Drink Up” campaign, a subset of the signature effort to promote healthy choices for kids that focuses on water. But instead of attacking the sugary, carbonated drinks and juices that [contribute to the widening waistlines](http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db71.htm) of our nation’s kids, “Drink Up” attempted to flood the market with positive, pro-water messaging. At an event in the White House State Dining Room, the first lady said those who have been involved in promoting “Drink Up”—from the American Beverage Association to the Obama’s Portuguese water dog Sunny —have succeeded in making water “cool.” “I’m confident that in the coming months and years we will see people across the country drinking more and more water,” Obama said. Their efforts have been proof that when you market and promote healthy choices as fervently as junk food, “then kids actually get excited about these products, and families actually buy them and consume them,” Mrs. Obama added. Seven organizations, including Brita, Nalgene, Haws Corporation, and S’well bottle, recently joined the campaign to promote the consumption and accessibility of water. And so far, according to a study conducted by [Nielsen Catalina Solutions](http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/the-drink-up-campaign-made-a-measurable-difference.html) on the impact of the “Drink Up” campaign, online ads have helped fuel a 3% lift in sales of bottled water, worth about $1 million. It’s good news for a campaign that came out the gate to criticism from nearly all sides. [Some argued](http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/michelle-obama-water-initiative-96703.html) Mrs. Obama’s messaging about the benefits of water, which she called a natural “energy drink,” was inflated. Others said she should be promoting drinking tap water over bottled [for the sake of the environment.](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/first-lady-wants-people-drink-more-plain-water) While [many were critical](http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/09/12/2609491/michelle-obama-drink/) of the fact that instead of vilifying soda companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi she partnered with them, which seemed contradictory given the direct link from sugary drinks to obesity. “It’s less a public health campaign than a campaign to encourage drinking more water. To that end, we’re being completely positive,” Lawrence Soler, president and CEO of Partnership for a Healthier America, said at the time of the [campaign’s launch](http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/why-drink-more-water/279591/). “Only encouraging people to drink water; not being negative about other drinks. ” A year later, however, tensions have cooled. “It’s terrific that the First Lady is working to make water more available, more cool,” said Margot Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Increasing the appeal is one part of what needs to be done to reduce the consumption of other beverages.” And meanwhile, First Lady Obama has gotten tougher on her efforts to promote healthier lifestyles. Though Tuesday was about fun and positivity—a group of local YMCA kids on the South Lawn even “surprised” the First Lady with a 60-by-40 foot water drop made out of 2,000 “Drink Up” branded reusable bottles—the anti-junk undertones didn’t go unnoticed. She even took time to mention the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s healthy school lunch standards she championed in 2010 and has been fighting since May to protect. On Tuesday, the general message was, “don’t give up on our kids.” “We need to keep working together within industries and across industries to help our kids lead healthier lives,” the First Lady said. ” And if we do all that, then I am confident — I continue to be confident that we can give our kids the bright, healthy futures they deserve.” _This story was updated to clarify that the survey on Drink Up was performed by_ [_Nielsen Catalina Solutions_](http://www.ncsolutions.com/)_, a joint venture between The Nielsen Company and Catalina Marketing Corporation._ ## Transcript [ NOISE ] First lady Michelle Obama launches a new seemingly innocuous public health campaign. You gotta drink something and what you drink is up to you. She wants you to drink more water. Drink just one more glass of water a day and you can make a real difference for your health for your energy and the way that you feel. Advice she says that has worked wonders for her family. The more water we drank, the better we felt. But that advice has caused a splash of controversy. [ NOISE ] Among some experts who say the First Lady is just plain wrong. They say most Americans are sufficiently hydrated, and so an extra glass of water isn't going to increase your energy or make you feel better. There's no good evidence that drinking extra water is going to lead to a healthier existence. Another claim from the First Lady that's all wet according to the experts we talked to, drinking more water helps you have more energy to do more, longer and with better focus. The experts say extra water won't do any of those things. They decided to sort of support some of these urban myths that have been, really debunked over the years. They do applaud the First Lady's initiatives on diet and exercise. The First Lady's health campaign is based on a lot of science. The claims about extra water, itself leading to extra health benefits, that's a bit overstated. The bottom line? Of course, you should stay hydrated. And water is better than soda. 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