Life, liberty and the pursuit of supersized sodas? New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg s proposal to limit the servingsize of sugary soft drinks in the city s restaurants, movietheatres and sports venues has provoked a national political debateabout just how far government should go to regulate humanbehaviour. More related to this story New York moves to ban 'supersized' soft drinks Pepsi reviving taste challenge marketing campaign Coke doesn't need Monster to be hip Only in America could the Big Gulp be held up as a cherished symbolof freedom. Mr. Bloomberg, the $22-billion-man who made his fortune in the freemarket before moving into government a decade ago, announced onThursday that he would seek approval from the city s Board ofHealth to prohibit restaurants and movie chains from serving sodain containers larger than 16 ounces (475 ml). That is about half the size of a 7-11 Big Gulp, which would beunaffected by the new rule, since it would exempt convenience andgrocery stores an inconsistency that the mayor has struggled toexplain in his bid to halt a growing obesity epidemic.
For many observers, the ban on extra-large soft drinks smacks of a nanny state. But it is not the first time the 70-year-old mayorhas resorted to government coercion to prevent New Yorkers fromindulging in bad habits. The city has some of the toughest anti-smoking regulationsanywhere, has banned trans fats in restaurants and requiresrestaurants to post calorie counts. On Friday, Mr.
Bloomberg continued a media blitz to defend his sodaproposal, which is likely to sail through the Board of Health,since the mayor controls its appointees. We re not banning you from getting the stuff. It s just if youwant 32 ounces (1 litre), the restaurant has to serve it in twoglasses, Mr. Bloomberg told NBC s Today.
That is not exactly taking away your freedoms. It is notsomething the Founding Fathers fought for. Of course, carbonated soft drinks were not around when the 1776Declaration of Independence deemed that life, liberty and thepursuit of happiness were inalienable rights bestowed on all menby God. Mr.
Bloomberg got some unexpected support for his proposal theNew York Post, the right-leaning tabloid own by Rupert Murdoch. Ina Friday editorial , it declared that this particular attempt to combat America sobesity epidemic may well be worthwhile. The mayor s proposal is based on the premise that people tend toconsume everything that is put in front of them, whether they wantto or not. Hence, smaller serving sizes lead to a smaller calorieintake. Former president Bill Clinton also voiced his support for themayor s proposal, noting that Type II diabetes is now showing upin nine-year-olds in the United States.
It s basically too much sugar going into the body, Mr. Clintontold CNN s Piers Morgan on Thursday So, if you get rid of these giant, full of sugardrinks, and make people have smaller portions, it will help. A typical ally in the mayor s quest to reduce New Yorkers waistlines, however, drew a line on the soda ban. In a Friday editorial , The New York Times concluded that too much nannying with a banmight well cause people to tune out.
More related to this story PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Enterprises both beat the Street War on child obesity: out of the cafeteria and onto the playground Why couch potatoes are more likely to do poorly in school. I am a professional writer from Water Treatment Chemicals, which contains a great deal of information about panasonic car radios , panasonic car radio, welcome to visit!
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