NYC Large sugary drink ban proposed

And I hopeful that all who have passionately participated in this thread will remember to take just a little of that passion to the voting booth in November and get this more government in our lives trend reversed as soon as possible.

People like to parrot talking points, not really do anything. Buzzwords like "nanny state" were coined by the exact people who profit from the fattening up and dumbing down of Americans.

If you are going to go on an anti-government rant, at least be original. And how many of the anti govt folks here are on some type of government assistance? Don't answer that.

You don't hate the government, you just want to pick and choose what suits you and to (HE double hockey sticks) with anyone who may benefit from some other type of government intervention.

Just drink coconut water... It's so good.

Interesting -- there are 43 calories in 8 oz of coconut water. So there are 172 in the dreaded 32oz size. So eventually, wouldn't Bloomberg look at banning that?

Vickeywells:

I'd rather say that I am PRO-individual. I'm an optimist. I believe in my fellow man. I believe that people will do the right thing, why-because I do. I greet my fellow human beings with good intentions in all cases. I watch out for my neighbor. I run about spreading fairy dust and rainbows. I'm naive and I like it. Regardless of how many people try to prove me wrong, I believe in individuals governing their own behavior and I trust my fellow humans.


I have worked under and with several politicians. Bright and honest ones: Clinton, Doles (Elizabeth and Bob), Ventura, Arnie Carlson and yes, Bush (not a mean bone in that man's body). These are exceptions. The hundreds of others that I have been exposed to were so out of touch, ditsy, goofy and possessed no common sense of their own. Almost every move they made was self serving and power hungry. Why? They couldn't survive in a work environment where they HAD TO FUNCTION, so they struggle to stay in office than serve the people. I could write a book about this with 1000s of proven examples. I can back up everything that I say. They didn't lift a little finger if it didn't serve their re-election campaign. I have walked away from a conversation with a politician just shaking my head thinking "This guy/gal is so stupid. How the heck did it get elected." I've had conversations with politicians that I did not know were politicians. About 10 years ago I had a conversation with a women and a man at an event and when they left, I was so baffled by their stupidity I had to ask someone who they were. Guess what? They are currently our governor and state's attorney.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Law makers think that they are beyond and above the law. There is not one law that doesn't have a loop hole. Therefore, it's only that we are becoming puppets to these fine individuals. This is not theory, this is personal experience. Regulations and stupid laws make people lie and hide the truth.

I do not disagree with anything you have said here. I am neither pro politician or pro government necessarily. I volunteered for the last 3 Presidential campaigns, and suffice it to say I will not volunteer again.

I believe this debate has gone so far off topic so many times that the central point has been lost. There is nothing wrong with a Mayor of a big state, who no doubt has access to the costs of obesity, diabetes, etc. for that state to make SOME attempt to improve the situation. It is not a fix - it's just a step.

Reading comments about the "government" banning soda - a nanny state - big brother - stay the he__ out of my life - etc. are disheartning to be honest. If you have read any of my previous posts, I am clueless about what to do with the childhood obesity crisis in this country. I do not have children, and I work with them on a weekly basis. The size of these children is alarming. Adults can do what they choose to do, including buying several sodas and vote out Mayor Bloomberg. Children have no voice and we have to give them a fighting chance at good health for so many reasons,

I am concerned about their future and ours. If a 52 ounce soda is no longer available to them I say that is a good thing. All other government issues aside.

I believe that large amounts of sugary drinks do cause weight gain. I got my hubs to quit drinking so much and he has been slowly and steadily losing weight in a nice healthy way. That being said, I don't think the government should be telling people how to buy a legal food. It's not that the drinks won't be available in 2 liter bottles or in smaller cups that could be refilled multiple times so what difference does it make? Will they ban family packs of meat, 2 liter pops, big bags of candy bars, etc? I prefer the government to not get that far into my life.

Large amounts of anything causes weight gain. So many don't understand the word "moderation" and that applies to everything....full fat, fat free, full sugar, sugar free, diet.


Yes, adults do have to take responsibility for themselves. But they don't. These habits start in childhood and that needs to be curbed. Perhaps this will help that, perhaps it won't. But something needs to be done.

Obesity is an epidemic. People were never this large before, in the history of this country. People walked everywhere, people spent hours and hours outside of there house (for reasons that were not work related), people cooked food at home, and drank beverages that came from the earth - not cooked up in some laboratory or built in a factory, people didnt spend there every free moment in front of a television watching reality show after reality show or playing video games, they didnt spend hours on the internet. they actually DID things. They LIVED life, they didn't just sit back and watch it pass them by as if life wasn't real.

Life is like a sims game, and society has made it that way.

Everything in moderation people.

I have NEVER drank those super super sized sodas but what happens one day if I really REALLY wanted to and they're against the law in NYC? lol - Its just silly.

They stepped in to make vending machines in schools healthier. I could get on board there since kids aren't usually very informed about nutrition.

However, to say to a full grown adult who has earned the right to make their own choices what size drinks are and aren't allowed is a tad ridiculous. That's TOO much involvment from big brother right there. The "obesity epidemic" as they're loving to call it would be MUCH better served if there was better education and information out there, especially for lower income people who did not have ready access to the internet.

There is actually sound reasoning to this.

I'm not one of those Paleo hipsters but the human body did not evolve a mechanism to cope with liquid calories other than milk. At least when you eat candy, chips, or eat buckets of greasy fries, your body actually knows that it took in calories. There is the hromonal repsonse that is associated with "I have eaten something". With non-milk liquid calories (milk also contains fat and protein) the body has no hormonal response (aside from the insulin reaction to the blood glucose), it has no idea it ingested something, and the insulin response to the calories actually makes you hungrier.

Liquid calories are very much one of the main causes of obesity, the human body cannot cope with them. IMHO it is no different than smoking really (the human body also has no mechnaism to cope with constant smoke ingestion). And note that this does include fruit juice, which is no better than sweetened soda.

And if people want to choose to eat what they want, the gov't should get to choose who does and doesn't get gov't health care. You can have your sugary soda if you are permanently opted out of medicare, given the finger at the emergency room w/o insurance, and all other forms of gov't paid for medical assistance.

You're right. Apparently sugary drinks are the only foodstuff directly associated with obesity.

If the governor's plan was to get people talking and thinking about how much sugar they consume, I believe he was successful!

If the governor's plan was to get people talking and thinking about how much sugar they consume, I believe he was successful!

Bingo! Smart like a fox. And thank goodness.

Vickeywells:

I'd rather say that I am PRO-individual. I'm an optimist. I believe in my fellow man. I believe that people will do the right thing, why-because I do. I greet my fellow human beings with good intentions in all cases. I watch out for my neighbor. I run about spreading fairy dust and rainbows. I'm naive and I like it. Regardless of how many people try to prove me wrong, I believe in individuals governing their own behavior and I trust my fellow humans.


I have worked under and with several politicians. Bright and honest ones: Clinton, Doles (Elizabeth and Bob), Ventura, Arnie Carlson and yes, Bush (not a mean bone in that man's body). These are exceptions. The hundreds of others that I have been exposed to were so out of touch, ditsy, goofy and possessed no common sense of their own. Almost every move they made was self serving and power hungry. Why? They couldn't survive in a work environment where they HAD TO FUNCTION, so they struggle to stay in office than serve the people. I could write a book about this with 1000s of proven examples. I can back up everything that I say. They didn't lift a little finger if it didn't serve their re-election campaign. I have walked away from a conversation with a politician just shaking my head thinking "This guy/gal is so stupid. How the heck did it get elected." I've had conversations with politicians that I did not know were politicians. About 10 years ago I had a conversation with a women and a man at an event and when they left, I was so baffled by their stupidity I had to ask someone who they were. Guess what? They are currently our governor and state's attorney.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Law makers think that they are beyond and above the law. There is not one law that doesn't have a loop hole. Therefore, it's only that we are becoming puppets to these fine individuals. This is not theory, this is personal experience. Regulations and stupid laws make people lie and hide the truth.

I do not disagree with anything you have said here. I am neither pro politician or pro government necessarily. I volunteered for the last 3 Presidential campaigns, and suffice it to say I will not volunteer again.

I believe this debate has gone so far off topic so many times that the central point has been lost. There is nothing wrong with a Mayor of a big state, who no doubt has access to the costs of obesity, diabetes, etc. for that state to make SOME attempt to improve the situation. It is not a fix - it's just a step.

Reading comments about the "government" banning soda - a nanny state - big brother - stay the he__ out of my life - etc. are disheartning to be honest. If you have read any of my previous posts, I am clueless about what to do with the childhood obesity crisis in this country. I do not have children, and I work with them on a weekly basis. The size of these children is alarming. Adults can do what they choose to do, including buying several sodas and vote out Mayor Bloomberg. Children have no voice and we have to give them a fighting chance at good health for so many reasons,

I am concerned about their future and ours. If a 52 ounce soda is no longer available to them I say that is a good thing. All other government issues aside.

I just want to applaud the poster you are quoting for taking the time to write out hi/sher post, which I whole heartedly agree with. It's not about the soda, it's about how far we want the government intruding into our lives. It's a slipery slope of small things that sound just so reasonable, but if you hand over the power to do this what other powers will you hand over eventually? It is NOT the government's job to fix the healthy problem with our kids, it's OUR responsibility. Stop taking away personal responsibility from the people.

Did you know that in this rich mayor's company he has soda on tap with free unlimited refills for his workers?? What a hypocrite.

Can't I just buy 4 regular $1 drinks then?

I like the idea myself, but I don't drink much soda. My husband on the other hand would be devastated..

Agreed, its a great way to start. But they gotta keep going to make this work.

Its like putting a band-aid on a cut that runs down your arm. Its not gonna do a thing. Resolve the current problem and eliminate what caused the problem in the first place!

Just what we need. More government control. Welcome to the nanny state!

^^^^ THIS!!!

The more people "let" government make their decisions for them, the more people WONT be allowed to make decisions for themselves.

Many of us (I know not all so dont go there) got fat by our own choices. We know this. It was the food we put into our mouth. No one made us this way but ourselves. Everyone here is trying to take conscious efforts to change the way we think, act and eat.

Obesity - for most - is all about choice. What you chose to put into your body. Now you are saying that it is great that the government is stepping in to make the decision for people to "reduce the amount of sugar they consume" by reducing the quantity per container??

People CHOSE to drink those beverages, just like people CHOSE to drink and drive; the consequences are their own. PERIOD.

I dont want government telling me what I can and cannot eat. We already have had attempts by the federal government to restrict personal gardens.... Come on people, WAKE UP!!! http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=12671

How about a ration card for every one with a high bmi. Would that be government doing enough? Geez! These guys need to get out our pockets, our bedrooms, our kitchens and our 7-11s. Bloomberg is a busybody CREEP!

What ever happened to PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY!

It is NOT the governments job to regulate what and how much we eat! If I want to overeat, having a ban on x-large soda is not going to stop me...nor will it stop anyone else.

Get the governement out of my life...if I wanted the governement to control it, I will just go live in a communist country!

What is next? ...x-large bags of candy, big macs, whoppers, large pizza with toppings,etc....????

Well you can't live in a communist country because they dont exist. All countries that have tried have not gotten there, because as I am sure you know, Communist societies- once achieved- continue to function and no longer need government. Only at the point when the function of the people replace the function of the government is communist achieved. What you are thinking of is likely tyranny, or countries with a dictator that call themselves communist. Or perhaps you are thinking of a socialist country, like Sweden maybe? Socialism is an economic policy furthered by government not a form of government in case there was any confusion about it being the same thing as communism. Its also an essential part of America's economy but I am seriously digressing.

Off the soap box.

I think this is a terrible execution of what is (hopefully) good thinking. Premiums and restrictions on health coverage for the obese did not make it into the PPACA, but I think that is a better way to go. Restricting the serving size of one high caloric beverage will have no other effect then to increase trash from plastic cups. No good. What we need is programs in our schools (funded by taxes and run by the government) and food safety regulations geared more towards food health and purity (which is done by the FDA, a government entity).

I am not saying I want the government in business, I certainly do not. However, I do want them in their business. The things I mentioned are, and long have been, their business. I also do not see the logic in all the people saying things like "if someone wants to be obese that is there choice and they are the ones that have to live with it" because it simply is not true. Obesity brings on a whole slew of health problems. We currently (as in before the individual mandate goes in to effect) have a collective health care system. You do not pay in to health care and then take your money back out when you need it. People that have health insurance and rarely use it subsidize those that use it frequently but pay in to it a similar amount. Further, people who chose not to pay in to the collective but eventually need it health insurance are subsidized as well. And tax payers cover insurance for people on medicaid, medicare, and veterans aide (socialism). Obsesity is a huge problem (no pun intended) in this country and it is likely your problem no matter what you weigh.

My point- generally speaking, the rising obesity rates are within the government's (local, state, federal- a federal regulatory scheme imho would work most effectively) interest to do something about it. However, this BS attempt at regulating coke sizes? Not the right way to do it.