Duh?…Of course they do!
One of the most publicized political events concerning health and food is being played out in New York City.
New York City Mayor Bloomberg recently spearheaded an effort to ban large soft drinks over 16 ounces from his city!
“This is the single biggest step any city, I think, has ever taken to curb obesity,” Mr. Bloomberg said shortly after the vote. “It’s certainly not the last step that lots of cities are going to take, and we believe that it will help save lives.”
The measure, which bars the sale of many sweetened drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces, is to take effect on March 12, unless it is blocked by a judge. The vote by the Board of Health was the only regulatory approval needed to make the ban binding in the city, but the American soft-drink industry has campaigned strongly against the measure and vowed this week to fight it through other means, possibly in the courts.
NOTE: THE DATE HAS COME AND GONE – THE COURTS DENIED THE ACTION AS ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS – BLOOMBERG VOWS IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND WILL APPEAL THEIR DECISION!
For the full NY Times article read the link below;
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/nyregion/health-board-approves-bloombergs-soda-ban.html?_r=0
- This will give you a sugar rush!
Not many remember when Cokes came in 7 ounce bottles for 5 cents!
- The last of the 6.5 ounce Coke Bottles!
Unfortunately I do. Recently the Coke bottle manufacturer in Winona, Minnesota made their last 6.5 ounce bottle. Read the article at the link below.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/coke-glass-bottles_n_1954596.html
To me actions such as Bloombergs to limit the size of sweet drinks is critical to the health of our nation. Does it infringe on some rights…I suppose so. But as Mayor Bloomberg says, they can always buy two 16 Ouncers! As a taxpayer we have the right to question the costs of dealing with obesity and diabetes and other related health issues caused by the mass production, cheap prices, and consumption of humongous thirst busters. Why must we continue to pay for this type of corporate marketing that leads to poor choices by the consumer?
How can we help?
This type of example highlights what we are dealing with in our country. We have fast food restaurants on every corner tempting us and our children to eat fat and sugar laden foods. We need to continue to promote food education in our towns and schools. We need to help our kids understand what is healthy food and what is not. We need to lead by example. We need to grow good organic food wherever we can.
Plant a seed today!
Transition Town Payson 
“Arbitrary and capredious” ? Of course the courts denied the action. Corporate Big Business reigns again! Did anyone see the outrageous 8% rise in the salaries of Corporate CEO’s in 2012? And this is while the same companies are laying off workers! Bloomburg’s effort to ban huge Cokes is a HUGE effort in itself, and most commendable. Makes my wish to ban plactic bags in our town seem simple! Maybe if I was Mayor ……… Or, better yet, maybe we CAN do it ourselves! We can become determined, talk about why plastic bags are so damaging, write letters, “market” the idea, get petitions signed, create a campaign! If San Francisco did it, why couldn’t we? Vee