In the News: NY Bans Sale on Large Sodas

In the News: NY Bans Sale on Soda over 16 oz.

Soda has got to be one of the worst culprits in our fight against obesity. About half of Americans drink soda every day at 2.6 glasses a day. There’s about 10 teaspoons of sugar in a can of coke and we’re only supposed to have 12 teaspoons of sugar in an entire 24 hour period. We live in a fast-food nation and there’s no surprise in the fact that we overindulge in foods that are no good for our health.

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a ban on big sodas back in the spring of 2012 and yesterday the New York City Board of Health rolled it out at restaurants, concessions stands and other eateries.  Bloomberg has also banned public smoking in certain areas, and banned transfat in restaurants. Some restaurants and beverage companies are not happy with his most recent proposal stating the board has exaggerated sodas role in obesity. Only one of the board members did not participate in voting, claiming the information is not comprehensive enough.

It’s a good step forward in getting our eating habits back on track and for us adults it might be a bit harder to adjust to but we should think about our children. I don’t like that it’s taken this long to get our governments to make the necessary changes, however it sets a good example for the future of the future of this nation. I do see where this can be unfair in a business sense because the sale of large sodas would directly impact certain industries but not others. For example, the ban will hurt a movie theatre’s profit but not that of a corner store or supermarket that are allowed to sell large sodas. This is definitely not the last we’ll hear from this.

Sources:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/283136-how-many-teaspoons-of-sugar-are-there-in-a-can-of-coke/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/25/half-of-americans-drink-soda-everyday-consumption_n_1699540.html

http://www.annarbor.com/health/nyc-bans-sale-of-soda-sugary-drinks-larger-than-16-oz-in-some-venues/