With childhood obesity on the rise in the United States, Carbon County is hoping to educate children on making better lifestyle choices to curb this trend.

On Thursday, the county commissioners voted to declare Wednesday as county "Pop-Out" day, a day to substitute sugary drinks such as soda, sports drinks and juices for water.Georgia Farrow, 4-H program assistant from the Penn State Extension, spoke about the initiative and handed out bottles of water."Kids have a tendency to try and avoid water. They drink sugary drinks, Gatorade, Powerade, things like that which have no value other than if you were very active in sports," Farrow said. "We try to bring an awareness to drink a bottle of water or glass of water instead. You can have fruit juices and milk, but in limited quantities."The proclamation states, "The youth of Carbon County is one of the county's most valuable resources. One out of every five children in the United States is obese or at the risk of becoming obese. Obesity is now proven to be a direct cause of health-related diseases and costs business and industry millions of dollars each year."Data has proven that there is a direct relationship between increased soft drink consumption, inactivity and overweight children. It is further understood that high-sugar beverages provide limited nutritional value and should be consumed on a limited basis as per the food guide pyramid. There are other beverages available that offer nutritional advantages such as water, 100 percent fruit juices and milk."The proclamation urges all children, their parents and the residents of Carbon County to "restrain or restrict their consumption of empty calories as in soft drinks, iced tea and sports drinks."Farrow said Weatherly Area School District is the only school she knows of that has a wellness council and is participating in Pop-Out Day.The school asks students to sign promises to be more aware of the drinks they consume."Pop-Out Day is part of a wellness project created by the Wellness Council of America.