New York City’s Board of Health is considering a ban on any sugary-laden drink greater than 16 ounces. The thinking behind this ban is simple — if people won’t control their own intake voluntarily, we — e.g., the government — will do it for them.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed the ban in May, and since Bloomberg appoints the health board, you can imagine which way they’re going to vote on the issue.
The ban is misguided for numerous reasons, but primarily because the ban is really only going to affect what cup sizes a consumer can purchase. Which is just plain stupid. If you still want 32 oz. or more of any sugary drink, you simply buy two 16 oz. cups. Or if you’re dining in at most fast-food restaurants, you have access to self-service drinks — meaning you can get as many refills as you want.
Government — no matter how righteous the cause — shouldn’t go down the slippery slope of trying to regulate citizens’ nutritional intake. While the underlying rationale might make some sense (“People’s obesity is costing us money!”), it’s simply ridiculous to assume such a ban would have any measurable impact on the underlying health problem.
The reason the ban is misguided and stupid is because human behavior isn’t so easily changed by simply passing a law. Apparently the New York City Board of Health and Mayor Bloomberg never studied history. Prohibition wasn’t a failure because lack of good intent or enforcement. It failed because it tried to change human behavior in a society that was acclimated to having access to alcohol.
All this law will likely do is create a lot of publicity around government’s effort to “do something” about the obesity problem. It will create no measurable impact on the problem itself, since fast food drinks are such a tiny percentage of the overall problem. ((For instance, the law won’t apply to drinks you buy at convenience stores, which is just another layer of silliness. You’ll still be able to buy your Big Gulp — just as I did as a child decades ago.))
The problem — and solution — rests at the feet of all of us. As parents, we have the choice to teach our children moderation when it comes to soda and empty calorie intake. Such lessons begin at home — not in a fast food restaurant.
As adults, we make our own free-will choices to eat unhealthy foods and drinks. And we pay the consequences of those choices — usually limited to ourselves, since it’s our shortened lives we have to deal with (and since most Americans are insured, our insurance that covers it).
Is obesity a growing problem in America and throughout much of the civilized world? Absolutely. But this sort of ban will do nothing to fix the problem, much less address it in any meaningful way.
Why would any of us want greater and greater government intervention in our lives, “for our own good.” While the public health experts and good doctors may mean well, this is not a part of any America the Founding Fathers had envisioned — the government telling its citizens how much of a beverage they can drink.
With the twisted thinking of the NYC health board, it seems like the next logical step would be to start banning large-sized donuts and Double Big Macs and Whoppers. Why wouldn’t you ban or put new limits on every fattening food available?
Read the full article: Pro, con arguments on proposed NY sugary drink ban
7 comments
Soda companies are one of the top 3 contributors to Congress members. This ban is a statement to them more than a ban on citizen consumption. This article is logically underdeveloped. You must drink a lot of soda.
I find it amazing that things like abortion are allowed since its her body her choice… yet the government feels the need to control what you drink?
What a backwards world we live in!
Actually, I don’t believe it’s stupid at all. It raises an important healthy issue because diabetes is becoming too common an illess and people need to know the effect that large quantities of sugary beverages can have on their metabolism. Even if it leads to fast food restaurants giving patrons the option of low cost tap water as a beverage option, it will achieve its goal. Years ago I wrote to a major soft drink manufacturer and said I really like your product but it stains my teeth, ever think of altering the formula? I got back a letter that if their product harms me then I should not use it. Like cigarette companies, soft drink manufacturers are only interested in profits and not consumers. They can reformulate their products so they are healthier but don’t. Stores can offer tap water for much less but don’t because their contracts with soft drink manufacturers won’t let them. If I can go into a diner and get tap water then I want to be able to have that option when I go into a fast food restaurant too. Not only will I spend less but it’s much better for me and others.
> If you still want 32 oz. or more of any sugary drink, you simply buy two 16 oz. cups.
Quite true, but no one really *wants* 32oz or more. Maybe they want the largest, or the second to largest. They’ll happily settle for 16oz, or even 12oz.
I think that, net-net, this is a big win for American health.
I agree with the article, but would like to comment: the FDA is a sad excuse for a regulatory agency. I do not like Mayor Bloomberg all that much, but I think whatever the intention in this situation, he will bring at the very least “awareness” that too much sugar is not okay. AND soft drinks in general have horrible toxic ingredients and zero nutrition. The government regulations are necessary to some extent, an age old argument. The sad part is that the regulations are guided by “big business” and not for the good of humanity. Thank you for reading this. Peace.
I don’t think it’s stupid either. I think it’s part of making a point that nutrition shouldn’t include so much sugar. Most Americans, I think it’s safe to say, don’t have proper education regarding healthy nutrition, even the food pyramid is not accurate. These big companies just want money, they don’t really care about the health of people. Frankly, I think all artificial ingredients (including artificial sweeteners) and genetically modified food needs to be eliminated entirely.
I disagree. It mainly applies to movies and sporting events when people consume large quantities of soda. You can still order big diet soda. And, it brings awareness that the sugary stuff is bad for you. Mayor Bloomberg has made a big difference in New York. All fast food restaurants must list calories of items … numerous times I’ve bypassed something because it had more calories than I thought. He created bike lanes here and virtually eliminated smoking everywhere but your home. And more apartment buildings are banning smoking.