A suggestion for NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (from a Type II diabetic) . . .

[markpkessinger]

If Mayor Bloomberg is really interested in making a dent in the obesity epidemic, rather than focusing on the size of soda beverages sold in movie theaters, restaurants and other concessions, he should follow the same principle his administration followed when it issued the ban on trans-fats. That is, instead of trying to regulate the size of the beverage, instead issue a ban on the sale of beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. Force soda manufacturers to return to the use of good old cane sugar!

[Odin2005]

1. Or beet sugar.

That way we make our own sugar.

[markpkessinger]

2. Good point! n/t

[handmade34]

3. I think

that considering the negative feedback he is getting from just limiting the size of drink... he knows all too well corporate interests wouldn't allow what you suggest... he already tried a tax and no way were lawmakers (lobbied by the ABA) going to allow that

I believe Bloomberg is seriously concerned but can't fight big money... it is up to consumers to fight back and not buy the stuff at all

Me? I would call for a ban on all added sugars! draconian but needed to fight the serious health concerns we are facing as a country

[markpkessinger]

6. Well, again speaking as a Type II diabetic . . .

. . . and one who has never been obese a day in his life, has exercised, and whose diet, while not perfect, certainly was never poor either (who owes his condition to genetics as much as anything), I tend to think educating people on better eating habits is a more productive course than micromanaging what and how much people eat.

[randome]

9. Sounds like a good philosophy.

But the information has been out there for a long time, now. Like it or not, people don't often pay attention to their health.

[handmade34]

11. this morning someone on TV

noted (when talking about the old TV commercial against the soft drink tax) that when the actor says, "I don't need the government telling me what eat or drink" (or some such thing) that that is ironic... and ridiculous...

Corporations and marketers have been telling people what to drink for years and most don't complain about that. This point is lost on most people... marketing is very powerful stuff and food is created and processed specifically to get us to drink and eat more

Yes, education is good but not good enough. Corporate interests must be held responsible and made to pay all the costs (including ALL external costs) of their product!

I don't so much want to dictate to people what to eat or drink or how to behave, as I want food processors and marketers held responsible

I know all too well about Type II diabetes and what most of the causes are... we are doing each other no favors by continuing the "you can't tell me what to do" meme. This is a problem that must be addressed in a mature, rational way. Our food is for the most part not worth eating and is make=ing many of us very sick with a much lessor quality of life than what we could be living.

[alp227]

14. I remember that epic load of ST00PID in that ad.

Notice the woman is saying, "Feeding a family is difficult enough in today's economy," then picks up a large bottle of SODA from the shelf. I saw this ad during CNN coverage of the overthrow of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. The junk food/beverage industry makes no secret they are behind these ads (even the right wing Washington Times reported, "Food, drink makers push back at soda taxes, junk-food curbs&quot .

Americans Against Food Taxes even created an entire Youtube channel to its shameless TV ads (http://youtube.com/user/NoBevandFoodTax). There must be a reason why AAFT turned off comments and ratings on its videos.

[Schema Thing]

4. that would do almost nothing.

Huge amounts of cane sugar will produce diabetics and obesity just as much as huge amounts of HFCs.

[markpkessinger]

10. I'm not sure singling iout beverage sizes in restaurants and movie theaters does much of anything..

...either. Frankly, if one is going to focus on sweetened beverages, why not focus on the area where the problem REALLY lies: excessive starch intake. I submit that has a far greater impact on obesity and diabetes than direct consumption of suger does!

[jumptheshadow]

13. So is this the soda industry...

...trying to push the nutritional burden on to the starch industry? That sounds like the scene from Mad Men where the industries were vying for position on the government nutritional chart...

[markpkessinger]

15. Huh?

I'm not "the soda industry," nor do I work for, nor have any affiliation with that industry or any industry related in any remote way with it.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. It would certainly taste better!

Gets my vote!

[Dont call me Shirley]

7. Businesses can charge more per ounce for the smaller drinks, hence raising taxes

on the poor and middle classes. It's all a scam.

[markpkessinger]

8. Bingo n/t

[handmade34]

12. the poor and middle class

would be well to not support the businesses that produce and market soft drinks!!

[TheKentuckian]

16. Maybe but there is little upside in boosting their bottom lines through legislation

if they do buy the products? All the initiative would do is drive up the cost per ounce up to the consumer and the seller's profit margin.

[handmade34]

17. there is a point where

taxes equate to less consumption...

"...a review of 160 studies,... found that a 10% increase in sugar sweetened beverage prices would reduce consumption by approximately 8%..."


http://allianceforahealthiervt.org/about-ssb-taxes.php