NYC may ban large sodas
Mayor’s proposal is latest effort to battle rising obesity levels.
NEW YORK —
Want to super-size that soda? Sorry, but in New York City you could be out of luck.
In his latest effort to fight obesity in this era of Big Gulps and triple bacon cheeseburgers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing an unprecedented ban on large servings of soda and other sugary drinks at restaurants, delis, sports arenas and movie theaters.
Drinks would be limited to 16 ounces, which is considered a small at many fast-food joints.
“The percentage of the population that is obese is skyrocketing,” Bloomberg said Thursday on MSNBC. He added: “We’ve got to do something.”
It is the first time an American city has directly attempted to limit soda portion sizes, and opponents again accused the three-term mayor of creating a “nanny state” and robbing New Yorkers of the right to choose for themselves.
But city officials said they believe the plan — expected to win approval from the Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health and take effect as soon as March — will ultimately prove popular and push governments around the U.S. to adopt similar rules.
“We have a crisis of obesity,” said city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley. “People often go with the default choice, and if the default choice is something which is very unhealthy and is feeding into that health crisis, it’s appropriate for the government to say, ‘No, we think the default choice should be healthier.’”
The soft drink industry responded with scathing criticism, even as the administration said it felt certain the companies could simply trim back their offerings from 20- ounce bottles to 16-ounce bottles — reversing a trend that has been under way for decades. In the 1950s, McDonald’s offered only one size for soft drinks: 7 ounces, city officials said.
Coca-Cola called the ban an “arbitrary mandate.”
“The people of New York City are much smarter than the New York City Health Department believes,” the company said in a statement. “New Yorkers expect and deserve better than this. They can make their own choices about the beverages they purchase.”