RUSH: Now, let me find this Michelle Obama story ’cause I’ve had this sound bite sitting here, Michelle Obama demanding everybody drink water. Well, no, she said she drinks a lot of water. Here it is. Grab audio sound bite 17. This is a Politico story: “First lady Michelle Obama’s new drive to get Americans to drink more water may seem unlikely to make waves, but it spills into areas that have stirred intense controversy among scientists, public health campaigners and environmentalist” wackos.
“Launching the latest part of her LetÂ’s Move initiative Thursday, the first lady declared that increasing water consumption will improve the health of kids and adults alike. She promised an intense media campaign that will include TV spots, as well as Web ads and social media postings encouraging Americans to ‘#drinkH2O.'” Now, what could this possibly be about? What in the world? Would you look at everything going on in this country and around the world where we’ve got problems and trouble?
We have real trouble, real problems in this country and around the world. What is this push to drink more water? Now, we know that Bloomberg doesn’t want people drink sweetened soft drinks, limiting the size to 16 ounces. I’ll tell you what I think it is. I think there’s an all-out assault on soda pop, soft drinks. That’s why, by the way, if you’ve noticed, all the soft drink companies now have their own version of bottled water. Coca-Cola has their own version of bottled water, and I’m sure Pepsi does.
I don’t know what the brand is, but they’re expanding into bottled water. You know how much bottled water actually comes out of somebody’s tap? You would be amazed. I can’t remember. I had the story not long ago about all of the deception in that industry. You know, I’ve always been amazed. The price of bottled water is far more expensive if you measure it by the gallon. When you go to the store and buy it, it’s far more expensive than a gallon of gasoline.
The guys that produce the water don’t have to do anything. They don’t have to drill for it, they don’t have to explore for it, they don’t have to get permission from the government to go do things wherever they want. They don’t scour the world. They don’t have to go down 5,000 feet below the ocean floor to get it. They just turn on somebody’s tap, and they claim it comes from some spring. I always thought if I was in the oil business, I’d really be ticked off that the bottled water guys are able to charge that much.
I get grief for what I charge versus what it costs me to go find the oil and have it refined and turned into gasoline. Pull quote from the story. “[S]everal public health experts contacted by Politico said they had concerns about the way the White House was framing the campaign. Those experts said the health benefits of increased water consumption are murky and there are no widely accepted criteria for how much water individuals should drink each day.
“‘There really isn’t data to support this,’ said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb of the University of Pennsylvania. ‘I think, unfortunately, frankly, they’re not basing this on really hard science. It’s not a very scientific approach they’ve taken. Â… To make it a major public health effort, I think I would say it’s bizarre,'” and this guy is a kidney specialist. He took issue with the White House claims that drinking more water would boost energy. The idea that drinking water increases energy? Absurd. Water doesn’t create energy.
It doesn’t increase energy, unless somehow you start steaming. “We’re designed to drink when weÂ’re thirsty,” this doctor said. This is common sense. This is not gonna be accepted. He said, “WeÂ’re designed to drink when weÂ’re thirsty. Â… ThereÂ’s no need to have more than that.” You know who’s responsible for causing us to drink a lot of water? The diet industry. “Yeah, you gotta have eight glasses of water a day! Whether you want it or not, you gotta drink eight glasses of water.
“That’s part of flushing all those worthless calories and poisons and toxins out of your system.” It’s Big Bottled Water, or Big Bottled Water is Big Soft Drink. That’s who’s pushing this. I mean, those are the people expanding into this because it’s an attack on their product, for crying out loud, being led by Moochelle, and Bloomberg. So let’s go to the audio sound bites. This morning on CNN’s New Day, we have here the senior medical correspondent.
It’s Elizabeth Cohen’s report about Moochelle’s new campaign to get Americans to drink more water and some of the criticism it’s getting. This is really absurd. Drink more water? It’s none of their business. Why do they care? You drink when you’re thirsty, and I don’t think there’s a water shortage, is there? The claims about extra water leading to extra health benefits, there’s so many myths associated with this. Here’s the CNN health babe and her report here.
The anchor said, “What’s going on with this, Elizabeth?”
ELIZABETH COHEN: The reality is there is no specific prescription when it comes to drinking water, and that’s what some experts say is part of the problem with the first lady’s campaign. (tape) Of course you should say hydrated, and water is better than soda, but don’t think that one extra glass is going to change your life. This Drink Up campaign that the first lady is doing is being promoted by the American Beverage Association — and the companies in that group? Well, they sell soda, among other things.
KATE BOLDUAN: It seems, though, that that is the message she’s sending. In that film that they played, it says, “You gotta drink something. Why not make it water?”
CHRIS CUOMO: I get it!
KATE BOLDUAN: You get it?
CHRIS CUOMO: I don’t get the scrutiny. I’m with you.
RUSH: “I don’t get the scrutiny. I’m with you.”
You drink when you’re thirsty! That’s how we’re designed. Dr. Goldfarb is right. All this is, folks, is just more command-and-control, and there is politics to this because you’ve got Big Soda pushing this.
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