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.
Taxing cigarettes hasnt seemed to inspire NYers to stop smoking . Cigs are $10+ a pack here in NY . Taxing sugary stuff wont either , just creates more revenues on the backs of weak minded people . Im opening up my big gulp speak easy as soon as this goes through . First gallons on the house (get 'em hooked and reel 'em in later) .
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).
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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....
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Most people chose unhappiness over uncertainty, Tim Ferris
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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?).
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
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If you mean my juicing, sure there is sugar in fruit, but the amount of fruit vs amount of vegetables in a juice is very, very tiny. Juicing is one of the healthiest things you can do.
I have had a fair amount of banana smoothies. Just banana, and sometimes water, sometimes no water, depends on my mood. Obviously bananas have a decent amount of sugar in them, but I am not on a no-sugar diet, I am just trying to eat healthy. Bananas are one of the best foods you can eat.
They couldn't now....but maybe in the future when everyone is implanted with tracking/ID chips the chip may also monitor your blood to determine your sugar levels and cholesteral and so on....
Bloomberg’s favorite movies:
The Wizard of 16-Oz
No Country for Old Menu
There Will Be Blood Cholesterol
Harvey 2% Milk
Food Police Academy
Cholesterol-Free Willy
West Side-Salad Story
My Big Fat-Free Greek Wedding
Fast Food Furious
Slim and Slimmer
The Silence of the Libs
What to expect when you’re expecting a salad
Trans-spotting
A Clockwork Orange Crush
Raiders of the Lost Pounds
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Trust the Government
The French Restaurant Connection
Miracle Whip On 34th Street
The Big Intestine Theory
Sweet ‘n’ low Home Alabama
Sugar Free Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Hotdog Billionaire
The Nanny State Diaries
The King’s Snitch
Escape from New York
The Treasure of the Sierra Mist
Pepsi to the Dark Side
Citizen Cane Sugar
Trump is just a blowhard and has no power over anyone and doesn't tell people how to live thier lives, Nanny Bloomberg however does have power over people and does tell people how to live thier lives.
Okay, so give me a Big Mac, Super sized fries and TWO cokes. This is ridiculous, so are they going to put a limit on how many cokes you can buy per day? Or is this a way to get more tax revenue by having to buy more smaller sizes? I don't personally drink that much soda myself. @ Eric said cigarettes at $10 per pack hasn't stopped people from smoking. It seems like more people than ever smoke. The smell makes me nauseous, yuck!
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We need to overhaul the nutrition facts label in this country.
The emphasis on calories is worthless. People shop by calories, and pay no attention to actual ingredients.
Acid is probably low in calories. So it would have a great nutrition label for a soda, because it can get you to the magic low calorie number. Too bad it will kill you when you drink it.
The board hand-picked by Mayor Michael Bloomberg that must approve his ban of selling large sugar-filled drinks at restaurants might be looking at other targets.
The New York City Board of Health showed support for limiting sizes of sugary drinks at a Tuesday meeting in Queens. They agreed to start the process to formalize the large-drink ban by agreeing to start a six-week public comment period.
At the meeting, some of the members of board said they should be considering other limits on high-calorie foods.
One member, Bruce Vladeck, thinks limiting the sizes for movie theater popcorn should be considered.
"The popcorn isn't a whole lot better than the soda," Vladeck said.
Another board member thinks milk drinks should fall under the size limits.
"There are certainly milkshakes and milk-coffee beverages that have monstrous amounts of calories," said board member Dr. Joel Forman.
Mayor Bloomberg says the drink rules are an attempt to fight obesity in the city. It would limit food service establishments in the city from serving drinks bigger than 16 ounces but would allow refills.
The New York City Restaurant Association is fighting the proposal and is considering legal action of it goes into effect.
New York City voters oppose 51 - 46 percent Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed ban on the sale of over-sized sugary soft drinks, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
The problem with this logic is that healthy people cost more to the healthcare system than unhealthy people. Reason is people who are healthy live longer.
A person who lives to a 100 will cost twice as much as person who has a horrible life style and dies at 50. Actually it will probably more than twice as much if you factor in inflation and general healthcare costs.
So really, people who are healthy should be charged more for healthcare because they will tax the system for a longer period of time. I know this flys in the face of conventional wisdom but the data does not lie!
In conclusion New York has it all wrong; we should be encouraging people to be unhealthy because it will drive down healthcare cost in the long run.
Instead of another tax, how about teaching personal responsibility and self control?? Not only will you be keeping a person healthy but it will also give them tools which can be used to help them succeed in life.
SD
nosce te ipsum
You make your own opportunities in life.
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Sounds like common sense.
What is this "common sense" you speak of? What time does it come on TV, maybe I will record it. But only if it is a reality show where people get voted off. And there is sex. Lots and lots of sex. And I can have my 32-oz big gulp soda, with no ice and extra soda, at my side.
Did I read that suggestion from Mayor Bloomberg to limit the size to 16oz but give free refils correctly? What exactly does that accomplish. That's the same as going back for seconds at Thanksgiving. You know you shouldn't, but it's too good to pass up.
Authorities should be appealing to the Beverage lobby and appeal to their common sense in terms of container size.