The New York times reports that New York City Michael Bloomberg sees obesity as such a terrible problem that the city is about to enact a ban on large sugary drinks:
New York City plans to enact a far-reaching ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in the most ambitious effort yet by the Bloomberg administration to combat rising obesity.
The proposed ban would affect virtually the entire menu of popular sugary drinks found in delis, fast-food franchises and even sports arenas, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited under the first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March.
Presumably, government knows best what’s good for you and they feel that big sodas kill – kinda’ like they felt smoking kills you.
Oddly though, New York City government doesn’t feel that the studies which indicate that active homosexuals have 20 years less life expectancy than heterosexuals warrants any action. Interesting that NYC wouldn’t turn their authoritative eye towards that, huh? In fact, they’re actively promoting that lifestyle in any ways.
But they try to argue that it’s just a financial thing about obesity. Fat people drain our healthcare system and we all end up paying more. But think about it, big sodas are such a financial catastrope for society that the government feels forced to act but millions of aborted babies doesn’t rise to the level of requiring any restriction whatsoever. All that taxpayer money that will never come into the government’s piggy bank because the kids were never born to pay taxes on all those medium sodas they could’ve bought.
There’s no doubt that our tax base misses all those young people who would be working and paying taxes right now. But this issue is ignored because in reality, this isn’t about health or wealth. It’s not about cigarettes or sugar. It’s about power.
May 31, 2012 at 4:47 am
Come on, Matt, don't you get it? The Government wants you to have choices in life! It wants mean old institutions like the Church to butt out of your private life! It wants you to live as you please! Except if you like soda in large quantities. Then you're a drain on society.
/facepalm
May 31, 2012 at 5:52 am
So, choice to bill taxpayers for killing unborn human? Good to go times over a million a year. Supersize my drink? Costs the taxpayer too much. If Mayor Bloomberg isn't a simpleton, then.. It must be… Yeah. Marxism. Sounds about right.
May 31, 2012 at 10:19 am
Sometime in the last few weeks, I read an article that said that way too many people, including those who were obese, felt that obesity was the fault of the individual and personal choices s/he made (eating too much or not exercising enough or a combination). This is wrong (the article said)! What people fail to understand is how great a contributing factor was the ENVIRONMENT. I had to keep reading just to learn exactly what they meant by the environment. Environmental factors include, but are not limited to, the availability of cheap, high-calorie junk food via vending machines and fast food restaurants as well as the scornful attitudes of society, including overweight people, toward overweight people that make overweight people too self-conscious to begin/continue an exercise program. Silly me, I thought I inherited my wide hips from my mom and kept them nice and round through a tendency to eat all the chicken nuggets and fries or pizza that my kids don't finish at dinner. But really, everybody is to blame. I sure hope they add liposuction to services covered on my government health care plan.
May 31, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Nice to see that Auntie Michael is watching out for all of us.
May 31, 2012 at 2:11 pm
"But this issue is ignored because in reality, this isn't about health or wealth. It's not about cigarettes or sugar. It's about power."
BINGO!
May 31, 2012 at 4:11 pm
So the places that give free refills will have to make more trips to refill that 16oz glass. Wow, that's really effective. Good thinking, NYC.
May 31, 2012 at 4:44 pm
I think we should all be grateful for how effective this will be, too. Not only will The Benevolent Mayor make the right decisions for New Yorkers, but now they'll all be svelt. If folks can't get big soft drinks they'll definitely stop eating other foods that are unhealthy in large quantities, too. Watch out, fast food joints! The Slim Army is approaching!
June 1, 2012 at 5:32 am
Free the fat fag fetuses!
June 1, 2012 at 7:25 pm
You know, when the United States was primarily an agrarian culture, obesity wasn't a national problem — and the diet was less healthy than it is now.