Mayor Bloomberg's Ban on Sugar Drinks do not include fruit juices or dairy products such as milkshakes. His plan would only have health inspectors watch over places with self served drinks and fast food restaurants. This would then avoid people going to McDonald's and getting 5 big macs and a giant 20 oz drink.
Some argue that this will be pointless because this will not stop people from getting refills with a smaller cup that could equal the same amount as just getting a 20 oz drink. Also a few argue that the government is getting to involved with society and what they want. Another point that was raised was the fact that it could put many small businesses out of work because of this possibly new limitation rule on drinks. Although this is a problem, I believe that the fact that more that 5,000 New Yorkers die every year because of obesity is a bigger problem. Dr. Deepthiman K. Gowda, a professor of medicine at Columbia University and a member of the Board of Health said, “The same way that we’ve become acclimatized and normalized to sodas that are 32 ounces, we’ve started to become acclimatized to the prevalence of obesity in our society.” America needs to start to become active in the fight against obesity and not make it a norm for people to be 20 pounds over their expected weight limit.
What do you guys think, should all people of New York be punished because of obesity of some? Will this new ban do much for New York? Do you think that other states will pick up this consumer ban as well?
It's widely accepted that there is a prevalent obesity problem in America and recently, Bloomberg made the effort to take the first steps of action through this drink ban. I see this issue in two lights. One- it's definitely positive that NY has recognized the problem. People have always said that the first step to solving a problem is recognizing that you have one. However, the second way I view it is probably my stronger opinion. I don't believe the government has the right to tell people what they can and cannot drink. There are more effective ways to fight obesity than to tell people that they can't buy sodas. Pretty soon, they'll be able to tell cupcake businesses to close or to limit people's intake candy- both of which are unjust.
ReplyDeleteIn a psychological sense, telling people just not to do something will rarely ever work. If someone wants a 20 ounce soda, they will find a way to get their full of all 20 ounces. If the government really wanted to make an impact on obesity, they should start health programs or publicize examples of diet plans to gradually change people's attitudes towards eating.
The limiting of soda is a temporary fix to a growing problem. The only way to make a real change is through gradual steps which can appeal better to Americans.
As a lot of my friends know (I was really vocal about this ban when it first came into effect), I was completely against the ban on drinks, if only for the economic side to it. Families who are living on or near the poverty line will oftentimes go to a fast food restaurant and buy an extra large drink, to split among their family, because it's cheaper than buying, say, three small drinks. This ban puts these families in a tough situation, completely effecting the wrong group of people than those Mayor Bloomberg intended.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the ban will help what it's intended to do, either. Telling people they can or can't do something, like Jenna said, never quite works out. There must be better ways out there to handle the growing obesity problem, with campaigns or things, rather than just mandates that could negatively effect everyone, not just those they're intended to. This is just a temporary solution, and it's not a very good one.
I think that the ban on sugary drinks is a step in the right direction in order to help improve the health of New Yorkers. It is a huge issue that has not gotten any attention because of so many other seemingly more important problems in the country. The fact that something is being done is an accomplishment in itself, but the effectiveness of the ban is definitely questionable. The negative side effects of ban may outweigh the benefits. As Jenna and Carly have said, telling people what to do rarely works. No matter what the law is, people will find their way around it. Psychologically, being told not to do something or not being allowed to do something will make people want to do it even more. For example, when parents tell their kids not to have any candy, they will sneakily try to get around that rule. The same concept applies to this situation, which is why although it is a step in the right direction, it may not be as effective as hoped.
ReplyDeleteI think that the ban on sugary drinks in New York is a wakeup call for America. There have been many statistics released that show America is suffers from the most cases of obesity. America’s weight problem has been a problem for years and clearly we have not taken any action to try and fix it. New York is finally recognizing the problem, and I think Bloomberg is taking a reasonable approach to dealing with this issue. Bloomberg is not banning on sugary drinks completely, rather just unnecessarily larger portions of sodas etc. I do understand people’s resistance to this law who feel the government is over stepping their boundary, and they do not have the right to tell them what they can and can not eat. However, I think that they have had more than enough time to change their eating habits and nothing has changed. This is a practical response from the government although it will not completely change America’s eating habits I believe it is a step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteI personally fully support the ban on oversized drinks. I think that there is no reason any person should consume that amount of sugar in one day, and that what we consider a "serving size" now is drastically different from the way it was years ago. As the author mentioned, when super-size drinks are all you know, it makes it appeal to our minds and to our bodies that this is, in fact, the size we should be drinking- when no human is created to withstand that kind of dietary imbalance caused by excessive sugar. The obese population in America fails to realize that bigger is rarely better when it comes to eating and that 20 ounces of soda is not considered "moderation." I do not believe that the other, "healthier" New Yorkers will not feel punished because of this ban. These people would not be consuming these drinks anyway, and since obesity is clearly a massive issue for millions of people, this is a great way for the government to help the kids of today grow up with a better gauge of what a serving size is. I'm a huge fan of Bloomberg and he continues to impress me with his innovative ideas for the betterment of New York City.
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