On Tuesday of this week New York City was set to implement a
new mandate passed down from Mayor Michael Bloomberg eliminating the sale of
sugary drinks in quantities greater than 16 ounces in restaurants, movie
theaters, and other food service establishments. At the last hour a New York Supreme Court
justice struck down the law, but the mayor vows to fight the appeal.
This is just one of a series of city ordinances the mayor
has implemented dealing with public health issues. Earlier in his term he has pushed to disallowed
smoking in restaurants and bars in the city, banned the distribution of food
containing artificial trans-fats and the posting of calorie counts at chain
restaurants. His rationale is to look
out for the well being of the citizens of New York City. The fact is that 60% of adults and 4 of 10
children in New York City are overweight.
It is the definition of a health crisis.
While the obesity rate for New York City is 24% among
adults, which is below the national average of 35%, the trend for adults
contracting Type 2 Diabetes is outpacing the nation. According to the Huffington Post, the United
States pays $245 billion each year battling Type 2 Diabetes.
According to Mayor Bloomberg, “It would be irresponsible not
to try to do everything we can to save lives.”
The Supreme Court of New York struck down the ordinance
calling it "fraught
with arbitrary and capricious consequences". Some of the difficulties with the ban include
establishments run by the state, not the city, would not have to abide by the
ruling. For example, because 7-11 is
monitored by the state of New York, it does not fall under the city’s
jurisdiction. Therefore, the sale of Big
Gulps would not be affected.
Mayor Bloomberg has vowed to continue this fight in spite of
the court’s ruling. He is committed to
doing whatever he can to improve the overall health of New York City, by whatever
means available to him as mayor.
What do you think about the ban of sugary drinks in New
York? Is Mayor Bloomberg acting responsibly
or is he over-extending the powers of his job and violating peoples’ right to
choose? Do you think obesity is an issue
in our country? If so, does the
government have a responsibility to do something about it?
Ryan- I think that the pop ban is good but it is also bad. I can see how you should get rid of pop because of its high amount of sugar in it. I can also see that the New York Mayor should not do this because it violates people right to chose what they want. Ya there not taking pop entirely away but it limiting the choice. I do think it's an issues in this country but that what our country evolved to. If you take away fast food and like large drink there would be a lot people angry. Yes what there doing in new York is a start to solving this serious issue. I still don't think they should limit it to 16 ounces. i think it should be to 25 or 30 ounces so it limits the amount but without getting rid of it entirely. I don't think that it is the government responsibility for fixing this, but if they can if they want to. Also if limit the amount of soda being able to sell hurts company. Not the huge commercial but the small and locally owned restaurants.
ReplyDeleteJacob_I think that the ban on soda is a difficult thing for someone to do. It would be very hard for someone in power to implement something smaller and less when the American idea of things is bigger and better. I think that the mayor is a good person for thinking about the welfare of his citizens. I think that although it is good for people to help other people be healthy but I don't think mayor is the best position for someone to do so. I think that Mayor Bloomberg is over-extending the powers of his job. I think that if the mayor really wants to help people he should finish his being mayor and set himself to the task of helping others be healthy. I think that obesity is an issue in the country but I don't think that the government has a responsibility to do anything. It is peoples choice to eat in a way that would make them obese. I think that individual companies could do what they could to advertise eating healthy and notify people of how to eat healthily.
ReplyDeleteJackie- I have to admit that I think this ban is pretty dumb. Let people choose what they want. I really do think that Mayor Bloomberg has been over-extending his job. If he wants to make a difference he should do campaigns, not laws. Laws make people feel restricted. All people have the right to choose and something this silly should not be a concern. It is not like obesity will fade away because we stopped serving huge cups of soda I do think that obesity is an issue in our country, but we have great people like Michele Obama helping us with that. A lot of times the human mind is the best way to fight obesity. I think that the government can have some say in this, but people need to be their own captain and most of the time people will have a loving family to support them and get them help. we should have people campaign and teach people about healthy eating decisions. Imagine the money that could go to use with all of the news casters and newspapers that have been feeding off of this story. Image the amount of campaigning and educational videos that could be made with that money.
ReplyDeleteTaylor- I think it's pointless to ban the sale of soda sold in a larger quantity than 16 oz. If someone really felt the need to drink more than 16 ounces then they could just buy 3 and poof they have 48 ounces. I do think it will prevent some people from drinking so much soda because when they see that it only costs $1.50 for 54 ounces they say "WOW! What a deal!" and buy it just because they can. Since those won't be there anymore, they will buy the 16 oz. because it's the biggest one there. I think the mayor is abusing his power because this is pointless. Soda isn't the only thing that causes obesity. He would have to get rid of every junk food and sugary drink imaginable. Obesity is definitely a huge problem in our country. I think the government could try to do something about it but it would be almost impossible. People made their own choices so the government would have to brainwash everyone to stop them from eating whatever they want.
ReplyDeleteMatea- I think that it is smart. Finally someone realized that our diet isn't the best. We are hurting ourselves when we put bad things into our body. I think the mayor is using his power to its limits. But at least he is trying to help us. I may bother some people because of their rights. Think about it, he his helping our diet so our country is ore fit and healty. Everyone likes sugar and needs it so i am pretty sure he is doing this in the best interest of everyone else's health. Obesity is an issue in our countyr today. It is a huge problem. Obesity affects your life and can kill you. It is deffinentaly a prolem in our country that we need to fix. The government does have the power to do something about it. As longa s it is in the laws of the Constitution. A healthy countyr is critical for a great country.
ReplyDeleteDillon - I think that the band on sugary drinks is great. I think that it is great because the normal American diet is not the best for your body. Soda is one of the worst drinks that you can put in your body. America is know for the fattest country in our world, This means that it is great that we are finaly doing something about it. In my opinion, I think that the mayor of New York is trying to set an example for the rest of our country. I do not think that he is doing something wrong. The people in New York are probably ever upset. I think differently. Obesity is a problem in our country because we are known to be the fattest country in the world. We do not get this reputation by being skinny but by being obese. I do not think that the Federal Governement should get involved. The a state sees obesity as a problem, then they should be the ones to get involved.
ReplyDeleteConor -I think that trying to ban certain legal things that people buy is ridicules. Its not your body so I don't think you can pass a law on how much soda a person can drink. I get where Mayor Bloomeberg is coming from but I don't think he has the right to do this. I think its good to try to get people to be more healthy, but I don't think we should do it in this way. I also think that Mayor Bloomberg is going a little to far in his power. He is not giving the people the right to chose which is wrong. I do think obeisity is a problem in the US. We need to reduce the amount of obeisity in the US, but I don't think we should go as far to ban certain ammounts of soda. We should increase inspections on fast food restaraunts to reduce the amount of fat they put in their food. If we did this maybe obeisity wouldn't be a problem.
ReplyDeleteSena- I think it may be a little extreme. However, I am glad that someone is finally taking action. (My mom being a dietion probably influences this) But I think it is horrid how much obesity there is in our nation. Some may say it is unapeeling to the eye but people are just shortening their lives. So on the otherhand, I agree with what they are doing. I believe it may be helpful. Also, I think he is trying to do the right thing but he may be overusing his powers a bit. Obesity is definetly an issue in our country. A lot of people here have that problem and may need help. I think that the government should be able to make rules/laws that are necessary to keep the people living here safe and healthy...
ReplyDeleteAaron- I agree with taylor in that the idea is pointless. If someone was really that into being unhealthy they would go and buy however many of the sodas they wanted to. To really get rid of obesity would be a great challenge. But hey! Its a start. I believe he is abusing his power and taking away peoples rights to chose. I do think there is an obesity problem however it is much more serious than people think. It would have to take lots of thought and much more than just the ban of sodas > 16 oz...
ReplyDeleteKordell Seidler
ReplyDeleteI think the soda ban in New York is a little good and bad. The good reason why they got rid of soda was because of the amount of sugar in soda. The bad is that its bad for the company. Because the less people drink the soda the less money your getting in your company. I think that what the New York Mayor is doing is violating the peoples choice. Because some people are addicted to soda and now they have to stop drinking it. I think its violating the peoples choice. Obesity is an issue in our country. What you were telling us about in class was insane. I think someone needs to try to stop that, but that will most likely never happen. I honestly don't know if its there responsibility because they cant tell someone to stop being obese. But they should make laws so people can live healthy.
Natalia- I think the ban of sugary drinks larger than 16 oz. is good. It will get people to drink less soda and really sugary drinks which will also make them much healthier. I agree with what the mayor is doing. It will help the obesity rate alot and it will inspire others to help out and also become healthier. I think obesity is a huge issue in our country. We dont usually realize how many people really are obese and that they need help to become healthier. I think if the government doesnt have a responsibilty in this then who would. They have the most power so it really helps if the government does something. Most people pay attention to the government more than other things so it would help alot more people compared to someone else trying to help that doesnt have as much power. If the government helps out then i think they can decrease the amount of obese people greatly.
ReplyDeleteStephanie- I think the obesity rate in America is rediculous and I think it is a good thing the mayor is trying to do somthing about it. I think it is a little stupid because you could just order two 8oz. drinks instead of one 16. I think the law is good though because America should not be spending so much money on somthing that can be fixed. i think the government should have the rghtto try and help people understand the importance of health, but i do not think it should controll what the people eat and drink. It should just point people on the right track.
ReplyDeleteGabi- I think that obesity is a problem in the United States and that someone should take a stand. The mayor of New York did just that. The obesity rate in the US is out of control. I don't know if the law that the mayor passed was exactly the right way to stop obesity but it is a start in the right direction. He is trying to put a stop to obesity and I think that he is right to do that. The government should be trying to help put a stop to obesity and the mayor of New York is trying to do that.
ReplyDeleteEmma Sabala- I think that banning sugary drinks in New York is not a good decision. The ability to have sugary drinks is a right that you have and ig your over weight or obeise you still shouldnt be able to have that right taken from you. I am not saying that we dont have a problem with obesity in the US because that would be false. I am just saying that it is a persons choice to be over weight or they could just be born with being a little bigger from their family backround. I think it would be nice to help out with that problem in steps but banning sugary drinks is a little to far and in my opinion would be the wrond decsision for hte mayor of New York to do.
ReplyDelete((CODY))I think that the ban is really pretty pointless, overweight people wont get skinny by just not drinking soda,they need to cut out the fatty foods. I am not talking about the olive oil you use to make food, im talking about the really fatty foods such as cake or candy or any other sweets but i guess they will have to start somewhere so maybe this is a good thing.He is absalutly abusing his powers, if someone made a certain type of music then a person in power said it was bad for the ears and you cant listen to it at a certain volume, he would be abusing his power. If people make a product for markeding then he/she has the right to sell the item at hand.obesity is kind of a bad thing because people are always saying that the americans are fat and discusting. this not only makes us feel bad but gives us a bad reputation with other countries. i guess the government should start programs for getting more healthy and not try to force us into it,heck use reverse sycology but dont force the people to.
ReplyDeleteVincent~ I think that banning sugary drinks in New York is a great idea. It will lower the obesity rate and will make kids and adults more healthy. I think that the mayor is in a good place to act on this but it might be a little more effective or efficient if it were someone more important like the president or someone of higher power. Also it might be better if they could vote on the issue or have the people decide. YES i do think that obesity is a problem in the U.S. because like you said in class we take up like 15% or something and take up like 35% of the weight. Yes I do think that the government has the right to do something about it but I do think that the people should have a say in what they think is right and have a say in the laws or enforcements the government is going to pass.
ReplyDeleteRobert- I think the ban on over sugary drinks is great... but hey I know the drinks i have contain more sugar then I should consume in one sitting but heck I do it anyway... -_- I don't believe he is violating rights of the people of NY. But There are other ways to help, because we need to take these things slowly... Someone doesn't change their mind on what they consume overnight.
ReplyDeleteYes of course obesity is a problem in our country. It's a problem wherever obesity lays. It's not healthy and teaches bad Morales to our next generation.Yes the government has whole responsibility to take action against something like this. It's grotesque that in the 21th century that we must deal with this instead of advancing our other medical and scientific needs. heck where's my back to the future hover boards at?
Last part was a joke... I'm not expecting hoverboards in the 21st century
DeleteDan- I think this is embarrassing for our country for having someone to make a law to stop obesity. i think it is good that they made this law because soda is terrible for you. I think the mayor is acting responsible because the obesity rate is 24% among adults and nothing is changing. he would not be acting responsible if he DIDNT do anything so yes it is great that he passed this law. Yes obesity is a problem and the government should worry because the obese are causing to pay money for diabetes. But i think people should just all go on Americas next big loser
ReplyDeleteOzzy Worrell --I think the ban is slightly extreme but it is good. The extreme part is that the people should choose because not all of us have sugary drinks every day. The good part is that people are taking a stand for the country's obesity. I don't think the government should start putting laws and bans and so on and so on. We as a country have an obesity problem. I do think the government should take a stand and educate the children now and until college so that maybe we could make a change.
ReplyDeleteAmaia- I think it would be great if they banned soda bigger than a certian number of ounces. I think he is fine because people are out of control, and those you don't take responsiblity will have consequences. These are the consequences that come with obesity.Obesity is without question a problem in our country. I don't know if it is the governments responsibity to change it, but I think it great that they are because we obviously can't do it ourselves.
ReplyDeleteRaphie- I think that the ban on sugary drinks in NYC is useless. I think that Mayor Bloomberg is not overstepping his powers but I do think that it somewhat intercedes on the people choice.I do believe that obesity is a problem in this country but right now we don't need to focus on our obesity problems but other countries food scarcity problems. I do believe that it is the governments job to deal with the obesity problem in the U.S. because with increased obesity levels productivity in the workplace can be lost leading to more problems. It also affects taxpayers who have to waste their money spending extra dollars on obese people who encounter health issues because of their weight.
ReplyDeletePeter-I think that it is good that they banned sugary drinks in New York because there is such a high obeaseity rate in the world today. i think that Mayor Bloomberg did cross the line in peoples rights but he needed to. I think that obeaseity is a major issue in our country. If you want to eat a few hamburgers a day thats ok but not every meal. I think that the goverment should not have power over peoples weights but they can have power over junky fast food.
ReplyDeleteKatie H.- I definitly think that the ban in sugary drinks in New York is a good thing. I think that Mayor Bloomberg crossed over the line of people's rights, but it was to lower the obeaseity and to reduce the cost that is spent on Type 2 diabetes. I think that people shouldn't be buying those huge 64 oz. sodas in the first place because that has soooooo much sugar in it and it is bad for your health. its ok to have a little soda every once in a while in moderation. That's the problem with a some people today, they overdo the portion sizing. Even though Mayor Bloomberg crossed the boundaries a little, I think it's better that he is doing something about it rather than doing nothing at all. I think obeasity is definetly a problem in our country. People need to eat healthy and use portion control and also get old fashioned exercise. You can't be healthy or loose weight by taking a magic pill. I think it's good that the government is also doing something about it. Even though they are also over stepping the boundaries a bit, I think it's better. People seem unable to take control themselves so the government has to step in and help.
ReplyDeleteCaleigh- There is a certain extant on wanting your city to be healthy and i think that banning all is over the line. I think hes over-extending like its there body they can put whatever they want in it. I think we do and its ridiculous because we are one of the most fat countries in the world and its like why don't we stop over feeding ourselves and feed the under feed. I think instead of banning just drinks maybe we should ban the more fatty food and see if that works out better.
ReplyDeleteniko
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very very embarasing to the US that they had to make a law to stop obesity. I think that the Mayor should've just casually banned it instead of making a big deal about it. Because i bet you thatin about every country in the world, right now someone is lounging in a chair chuckling about how fat the americans are!!! I think that the Mayor has made a change, a revolution to ban the unhealthy foods that make our country what it is today. and to tell tou the truth, i do not see a lot of obese kids on my day to day life, i only see overweight elderly people that are unable to work out in order to burn off calories. i also beleive that the reason why the US is the second most obese country is because we are the most developed and well off country, so we can afford to eat and drink.
Emma- I really dont think that we should ban sugar soda because thousands of people buy them everyday. They would be loosing alot of money and customers. I think that the Mayor is over doing it because not everyone who drinks it is unhealthy. It is there chose as well if they want to be unhealthy, its not his right to choose for us. I do think that we are an obese country, but that doesnt mean the everyone is. I dont really think that the government should get involved though because is our right to stay the way we are if we want to. But the government should change the prices on things that are healthy. If they really want us to be healthy they shouldn't make the healthy foods expensive and the unhealthy food like 10 cents.
ReplyDeleteAbby: i think the banning of sodas is a good and a bad thing. good because it lowers the amount of obesity but bad bad because not everyone is drinking those big things of sodas. i think we should be able to have small 290 once sodas but not the biggest ones.i think the mayor is taking a stand and doing the right thing. i do think there is a lot of obestity in our country and i do think that our government should do something about it because it is unhealthy but i think we should think of more important things to band like mccdonald not sodas
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