NYC Limits The Size Of Soft Drinks

R

Read-Only

Valued Senior Member
I couldn't help but laugh when I read this :D

http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2012/09/12/13834093-nyc-passes-ban-on-supersized-sugary-drinks?lite#__utma=14933801.1277145518.1344316578.1347557427.1347580502.44&__utmb=14933801.1.10.1347580502&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1347422574.38.18.utmcsr=usnews.nbcnews.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/_news/2012/09/11/13733106-how-will-ex-cop-drew-peterson-fare-in-prison&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Ccover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=188323240

Wow - that copy/paste of the URL sure looks funky!!! I hope it works. :eek:

Anyway, this is nothing more than the latest stupid attempt to regulate people's health through dumb legislation. Since the consumer evidently wanted a large drink in the first place - or else he/she wouldn't have ordered it - how will this nonsense prevent the individual from simply buying TWO of the smaller ones? Looks to me like it could actually result in people drinking even more than before. (And that's not to even mention the possible increased profits for the soda industry.)

What do you think?
 
transfat limit was not a stupid idea, it works. As for this soda thing might actually limit people, because it would cost more for someone to buy two drinks.
 
youreyes said:
transfat limit was not a stupid idea, it works. As for this soda thing might actually limit people, because it would cost more for someone to buy two drinks.
Click to expand...

I agree about the transfats thing. But I'm far from convinced about the drinks. Someone at a ball game is pretty much likely to order enough to drink what they would have before without the ban. Just don't see it having any effect at all - beyond selling even MORE individual drinks in the long run.
 
Read-Only said:
I agree about the transfats thing. But I'm far from convinced about the drinks. Someone at a ball game is pretty much likely to order enough to drink what they would have before without the ban. Just don't see it having any effect at all - beyond selling even MORE individual drinks in the long run.
Click to expand...

I think it will hurt businesses. Most business's these days allow free refills if you are eating on the premises. So unless they raise the price of a 16 oz to the same price as the 32 oz they will lose money. Raising the price will affect drive thru service most. People will not want to pay the same for a 16oz that they paid for a 32 oz. And most would not want to deal with having to hang onto 2 drinks if eating in their car. If they cancel free refills and/or raise the price of the 16oz people will just buy their drinks at the convenience store. This is certainly a nanny state thing. I never drink water, I only drink sugary soda and I am not obese. I'm not in the best shape but I'm not piggy either. My weight is also not climbing out of control.
 
seagypsy said:
I think it will hurt businesses. Most business's these days allow free refills if you are eating on the premises. So unless they raise the price of a 16 oz to the same price as the 32 oz they will lose money. Raising the price will affect drive thru service most. People will not want to pay the same for a 16oz that they paid for a 32 oz. And most would not want to deal with having to hang onto 2 drinks if eating in their car. If they cancel free refills and/or raise the price of the 16oz people will just buy their drinks at the convenience store. This is certainly a nanny state thing. I never drink water, I only drink sugary soda and I am not obese. I'm not in the best shape but I'm not piggy either. My weight is also not climbing out of control.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can see this going either way. But I certainly agree about the "nanny state" thing. It still looks very foolish and besides, ENFORCEMENT is going to be a major issue if they seriously try to make it work. There has to be thousands of vendors in the metro area alone. They could put all that time and effort into coming up with something much more practical and effective.
 
Read-Only said:
What do you think?
Click to expand...

I think obesity is secondary to the danger of drinking from a soda cup while negotiating the insane NYC traffic.

I therefore propose that this ban be lifted and replaced with the following:

Any driver caught drinking from a cup half the circumference of the steering wheel, or larger, should be punished by 8 hours of community service, as follows. They will have to hand out flyers to anyone on the sidewalk who jiggles in the wrong places, advising them of the hazards of fats and oils, cholesterol, sugar, starch, fruits, high calorie meats and vegetables, and anything that tastes good or appeases hunger pangs.

In related news:

Shrimp, pizza, philly cheese steak, Chinese takeout and bagels are on the agenda for the next council meeting.

After that, all the Met opera singers are expected to lose those extra glands that do the warbling. A new form of minimalist singers are expected in their next charter with the City. They will be requiring a body mass of 98 pounds or less, and the stage entrance will be reduced to a 3" slit to prevent cheating. Other nefarious workaround such as anti-obesity steroid abuse will be dealt with by periodic urinalyses.

A grease meter will be attached to every wastewater line, with a $50 per globule fee automatically added to the monthly utility bill.

Automatic tax shelters are being offered to incentivize liposuctionists to slash prices as handily as they do yellow meat, so to speak, and patients who undergo treatment in the first 180 days of the new law will get a free pass to hear Bloomberg wax philosophical about NYC's, and his, greatness. The affair will be an exclusive one-noodle spaghetti dinner. Tap water will be available from the Parks Dept water fountains.
 
I drink a glass of root beer less than a handful of times a year and unless cola is offered WITH rum, no thanks, lol.

While I have little doubt that sugary sodas contribute needless calories, this seems like an exercise in futility as there are plenty of work arounds and loopholes and it is unenforceable. Fruit juices, milkshakes, and frozen mocha among others remain exempt. Human nature is such that pointless regulation merely breeds resentment and resistance. Education, though slow, remains a more effective tool, in my opinion.

Mind you, if we targeted all the foods that have been implicated in weight gain, life would get very interesting indeed.

beverage-sizes-infographic.jpg


Noting the size of the human bladder in relation to beverage sizes, I suggest that the solution is just to eliminate public washrooms. :D
 
Aqueous Id said:
I think obesity is secondary to the danger of drinking from a soda cup while negotiating the insane NYC traffic.

I therefore propose that this ban be lifted and replaced with the following:

Any driver caught drinking from a cup half the circumference of the steering wheel, or larger, should be punished by 8 hours of community service, as follows. They will have to hand out flyers to anyone on the sidewalk who jiggles in the wrong places, advising them of the hazards of fats and oils, cholesterol, sugar, starch, fruits, high calorie meats and vegetables, and anything that tastes good or appeases hunger pangs.

In related news:

Shrimp, pizza, philly cheese steak, Chinese takeout and bagels are on the agenda for the next council meeting.

After that, all the Met opera singers are expected to lose those extra glands that do the warbling. A new form of minimalist singers are expected in their next charter with the City. They will be requiring a body mass of 98 pounds or less, and the stage entrance will be reduced to a 3" slit to prevent cheating. Other nefarious workaround such as anti-obesity steroid abuse will be dealt with by periodic urinalyses.

A grease meter will be attached to every wastewater line, with a $50 per globule fee automatically added to the monthly utility bill.

Automatic tax shelters are being offered to incentivize liposuctionists to slash prices as handily as they do yellow meat, so to speak, and patients who undergo treatment in the first 180 days of the new law will get a free pass to hear Bloomberg wax philosophical about NYC's, and his, greatness. The affair will be an exclusive one-noodle spaghetti dinner. Tap water will be available from the Parks Dept water fountains.
Click to expand...

GREAT!! I love it!! :D:D
 
I usually drink either 1 Coke or 1 A & W root beer float every year, though a couple of years ago I drank 2 Cokes in 1 year. :eek: I was overcome with desire for that second one, even though it had only been a month or so since the first.....

As for government "bans".....those work so very well I am surprised they don't make everything illegal so they could arrest and fine anybody anytime anywhere for anything.
 
More nanny-state nonsense. I'm all for smart regulation, but this is dumb. Don't tell me there's an upper limit on how much soda I can drink in one cup.
 
We should just follow the Australians and put pictures of nasty fat people in coffins on the cups...
 
Read-Only said:
I couldn't help but laugh when I read this :D



Anyway, this is nothing more than the latest stupid attempt to regulate people's health through dumb legislation. Since the consumer evidently wanted a large drink in the first place - or else he/she wouldn't have ordered it - how will this nonsense prevent the individual from simply buying TWO of the smaller ones? Looks to me like it could actually result in people drinking even more than before. (And that's not to even mention the possible increased profits for the soda industry.)

What do you think?
Click to expand...

I think NYC is a shitty place to live when you consider the local government intrusions on personal choices. They seem hellbent on dictating to the public what is best for the individual. But this is becoming popular elsewhere, and I admit that my own local officials have placed a ban on trans fats here--my french fries just don't taste the same. In my opinion, it's never a good thing when your government takes away your freedom of choice. I would never live in NYC, though I might give it a visit.
 
I fundamentally disagree with government interference with our freedoms like this and until we have a more Libertarian approach to politics this sort of nonsense will prevail. The more appropriate process would have been to create an attractive educational campaign helping people understand the very toxic nature of sugar, and then let them make up their own mind. If they choose not to learn or choose a bad choice then the gene pool eventually be cleaned of the debris.

However, in the absence of education, the NYC approach may well have some effect. If people continue to be determined to drink 32oz then they can still easily buy 2 x 16oz, but in reality it will likely be too much effort and most will likely drink less sugar. But the effect may be limited or not easily measured. If folks would then limit their other effective vast intakes of sugar in the form of bread, cereals, grains, cakes, candy, pasta, potatoes, starchy vegetables, and fruit, then we might see some real impact on the diseases caused by metabolic syndrome - obesity, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's, etc..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top