New York Mayor Want Large Sugary Drinks Banned

[bulbboy]

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/31/new-york-mayor-wants-big-sugary-drinks-banned/

If New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has his way, you won’t be gulping down any 44-ounce Cokes at any of the Big Apple’s eateries after March 2013.

Citing what he says is the contribution sugary beverages make to obesity in the U.S., Bloomberg says the buck, and the big Dr. Pepper, stops with him.

“Obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the United States, public health officials are wringing their hands saying, ‘Oh, this is terrible.’ New York City is not about wringing your hands; it’s about doing something. I think that’s what the public wants the mayor to do,” Bloomberg told The New York Times.

Is drinking soda really that bad for you?*|*What is high fructose corn syrup?

His proposal would ban any the sale of any sugary beverage over 16 ounces in any of the city’s restaurants, delis, movie theaters or even street carts, according to reports from New York.

Sales of sweetened drinks larger than 16 ounces would still be permitted in supermarkets and convenience stores, according to the reports, including one from CNN affiliate NY1.

Bloomberg’s ban would not apply to diet drinks, juices, milkshakes or alcohol, according to the NY1 report.

The New York City Beverage Association responded quickly Wednesday.

“There they go again. The New York City Health Department’s unhealthy obsession with attacking soft drinks is again pushing them over the top. The city is not going to address the obesity issue by attacking soda because soda is not driving the obesity rates. It’s time for serious health professionals to move on and seek solutions that are going to actually curb obesity,” the group said in a statement, according to NY1.

According to the Times report, more than half of New York’s adults are obese or overweight, and the city says more than 30% of its citizens drink at least one sweetened beverage daily.

Child obesity ads aim to create movement out of controversy

James Estrada, a 41-year-old truck driver from Queens, New York told the New York Post that it doesn’t make sense to just ban large sizes for everyone.

“I’m 6-2, 230 pounds so . . . serving sizes don’t really apply to me,” Estrada told the Post. “I just know that’s not enough for me. I usually get a large because it’s a good deal and I take long trips. I don’t want to stop every hour for another drink.”



If Bloomberg’s plan goes through, there’s still a way to drown yourself in Pepsi. The Times says while fast-food restaurants could only give out cups holding 16 ounces or less, free refills are allowed. So just plan for more trips to the soda bar.

 

[Bill Mac]

Does Bloomberg have no better thing to do than interfere in peoples' lives needlessly? He should join Michelle Obama and get kids off their fat behinds and away from the video games outside to play. Maybe he could cut their electricity off from 4:00 to dark to get them away from the TV sets and game controllers. Think about how much money the city and people would save by not providing electricity to all of those residential customers for 4 or 5 hours a day. Now I suppose we will have Mayors Against Illegal Large Drinks to stop another scourge to mankind.

 

[HMFIC]

I can hear it now... "The War on Sugar".

Obama will likely have a Sugar CZAR appointed when he wins his next term.

Ironic... these types want to legalize everything, but a little sugar upsets them.

 

[sanjuro893]

I saw that this morning. I wish somebody would try to ban heavy-handed, big gov't., elitist pigs like Bloomberg.

 

[10Seconds]

This is yet again another infringment on individual rights. I cannot believe how many people willingly go along with this sort of thing.

If our government can control the size of cup we use, whats next?

This is scary stuff.

 

[JD8]

He might aswell ban 48in pizzas....... anyone here spent an amount of time in NYC knows VERY few places have soda fountains. If you order a "coke" or whatever you get a can, and you are charged for each can. I never saw an obesity problem in NYC anyways, relative to growing up here.

 

[TheMcs]

Diet drinks & juices can be just as bad. Another misguided attempt.

I actually agree that there's no need for a 44 oz pop. But I more firmly believe there's no need for the gov't to mandate that.

 

[Dave70968]

Sure there is: .gov is paying for your healthcare, it has an obligation to minimize costs.

All the idiots who voted for .gov to provide these services should be happy they're getting what they wanted.

 

[inactive]

Forget the health insurance question for a minute.

The simpler solution is for the government not to pay farmers to grow products at a loss, like corn or canola or soy, and for us to use more holistic products instead (like grass and clover livestock feed, sugar-based sweeteners, etc). But then we'd biotch about the free market prices of these things.


Edit to add:

Some of you guys may want to check our King Corn. It's a documentary, but not quite as pointed as some the others out there. It shows the basics of how subsidized monoculture agriculture works. It gives perspectives from the farmers, the Coops, the USDA executives that implemented the subsidy programs. It's pretty informative without terribly vilifying anyone on the whole.


But yea, 44 ounce sugared sodas are going to be the downfall of our country. Seriously. Not healthcare mandates, not firearms freedoms, not same sex marriage. We're all gonna kill ourselves first.

 

[tacmedic]

The government needs to get the $&@% out of our lives.