New York (CNN) -- New York City is poised to ban the sale of large-sized sodas and other sugary beverages in an effort to combat rising obesity rates, a city official said Thursday.

The ban would outlaw the sale of such drinks larger than 16 ounces from restaurants, food carts and any other establishment that receives a letter grade for food service. It would not apply to grocery stores.

The New York City Board of Health will vote on the measure in June.

"There they go again," Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for the New York City Beverage Association, said in a statement. "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."
2011: America's sugar high

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, cheered the move by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, calling it "the boldest effort yet to prevent obesity.

"We hope other city and state public health officials adopt similar curbs on serving sizes and reducing Americans' exposure to these nutritionally worthless products," he added.

Broad public health initiatives have become a hallmark of Bloomberg's administration. Under Bloomberg, the city has banned trans fats from restaurants, smoking from parks, and has placed graphic ads targeting junk food and tobacco in public transit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that "many people don't realize just how many calories beverages can contribute to their daily intake."

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, in a brief last August, said sugar drinks "have been linked to poor diet quality, weight gain, obesity, and, in adults, type 2 diabetes."

The American Heart Association has recommended a consumption goal of no more than 450 kilocalories of sugar-sweetened beverages -- fewer than three 12-ounce cans of carbonated cola -- per week, the report says.

Friedman, in his statement, said that "as obesity continues to rise, CDC data shows that calories from sugar-sweetened beverages are a small and declining part of the American diet."

Beverage Digest, which tracks sales, reported that in 2011, sales of carbonated soft drinks dropped by 1%, a steeper decline than the year before. Total sales of carbonated soft drinks are down to the level they were in 1996, the report said.

Per capita consumption is at its lowest since 1987, the report said.

But the CDC notes that the consumption of sugar drinks -- including non-carbonated beverages -- is higher than it was 30 years ago. And part of the key to cutting calories is "to think about what you drink."

That includes watching calories in coffee drinks and smoothies, the CDC says. Just over half -- 52% -- of calories from sugar drinks are consumed at home, the CDC brief said.

Source: New York City to ban big sodas at restaurants, food carts - CNN.com



While I certainly agree (can't everyone) that something needs to be done to combat obesity, this is just ridiculous. We can't get Congress to pass any kinds of laws that would stop subsidizing the high fructose corn syrup, so we do this instead?

Why not stop subsidizing the costs of bad food, and start taxing it? Or just stop subsidizing it, that alone would make the cost of bad food more in line with the cost of good food.

Mike

Mike

Source: New York City to ban big sodas at restaurants, food carts - CNN.com



While I certainly agree (can't everyone) that something needs to be done to combat obesity, this is just ridiculous. We can't get Congress to pass any kinds of laws that would stop subsidizing the high fructose corn syrup, so we do this instead?

Why not stop subsidizing the costs of bad food, and start taxing it? Or just stop subsidizing it, that alone would make the cost of bad food more in line with the cost of good food.

Mike

Mike

I agree with you on getting rid of the subsidies but I don't like the idea of government telling me what I can or can't eat. It's fine if they recommend something but that's as far as it should go. We are supposed to be the land of the free, If I want to be a big fatso that is my choice (for the record I'm not a fatso).

I agree with you on getting rid of the subsidies but I don't like the idea of government telling me what I can or can't eat. It's fine if they recommend something but that's as far as it should go. We are supposed to be the land of the free, If I want to be a big fatso that is my choice (for the record I'm not a fatso).

They have the right to tell you what to eat if they pay for the cost of obesity related health care.....I agree with the basic idea that the gov should not be telling me what to eat but if I were paying for your health care, i sure as hell would tell you what to eat....

The solution is of course to get the gov out of most stuff including health care of all kinds, prices would go down across the board and people would take better care of themselves if they had to foot most of the bill themselves.

Ending subsidies is just a component, albeit an important one.....death by food....

That's the answer...get goverment out of the health care business or at least scale back thier invovlment to the point where they have no justification for mandating behaviors

I guess that is what everybody wants, total freedom and no control, until they are told they will not receive medicare benefits for self inflicted health problems related to smoking, alcohol, drugs, and bad food.

btw, thousands of books, videos, and seminars on how to deal with these compulsive behaviors can be directly used to improve trading bad habits and behaviors (but who cares?).

For the record, I haven't had anything other than water to drink this entire year

Mike