Will Government Portion Control on Sodas We Drink REALLY Help Obesity?

June 5th, 2012 - By Stephanie Guerilus

Source: nationalreview.com

The government doesn’t sleep, but I’ll settle for them having a stadium full of seats. Mayor Michael Bloomberg can be the first in line. The NYC politician wants to place a ban on sodas larger than 16 ounces.  Apparently, that’s the biggest problem facing New York and not the 8.1% unemployment rate or the rampant homelessness. Bloomberg has decided that this is the cause for him to put his cape on and fly into action.

His intentions are solid. Obesity is a serious epidemic in this country. While it should be addressed, it should not be legislated to these lengths. He is an elected official, not anyone’s parent or nanny. If he really wanted to stick his nose where it didn’t belong, Bloomberg could use some of the millions if not billions at his disposal and pay off my student loans. He’d get my vote on that. Until then, I need him to get himself all the way together. How can you be against soda but support National Donut Day? I’ll wait.

Not only is this proposed law a government overreach dictating what a person can buy with their own money, but it also falls flat when you really think about it. Sure, you can ban the sale of oversized sodas and try and control portions, but I can just as easily buy two small sizes. Or three. Or four. I’ll chug on a bottle of Pepsi and cheer to the friggin’ weekend while protestors side eye me with pickets raised high in the air. In my best Rihanna voice, “No1Currr!”

Diabetes, obesity and other health related dangers that high sugar intake can cause is very real. It shouldn’t be taken lightly. However, Big Brother needs to fall back on trying to limit choices just because they wouldn’t make the same ones. Bloomberg is not going to get a medal or ticker tape parade for attempting to mandate good health practices. He’ll likely have a riot. The government can’t even balance the federal budget and put suffering Americans back to work, yet they want to occupy vending machines and fast food joints? Are cupcakes, pretzels and candy next on the most wanted list?  I’ve got a birth certificate that says I’m old enough to decide for myself what I want to drink and at what size I want to drink it. I’m not the only grown person insulted by the government’s interference as to what I’m supposed to be quenching my thirst with.

While he might have good intentions, don’t fool yourselves into thinking that these good measures won’t pave the way for more laws for the “common good.” Some women choose to put that creamy crack into their hair every 4 to 6 weeks. I do. I’m too lazy to find another way to get my hair layed quick, so does that mean folks might decide that the chemicals in perms might mess me up and will determine how I use one? Uncle Sam might even decide next to ban tampons because it might lead to toxic shock syndrome. Think all that sounds ridiculous? So is putting the blame on soda for obesity and trying to place a Band-Aid on an issue that will not solve the problem.

I love my neighbors and I want what’s best for them. I want every person to be healthy, but it just can’t be done by force. It needs to be of a person’s free will to lead a healthy lifestyle. So until then, please pass the Pepsi.

You won’t be able to get a super-sized soda but you can buy Newports by the carton?! Where they do that at? Oh, that’s right. They want to start in New York.

Follow Stephanie Guerilus @qsteph

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  • Kristina Tramel

    I stop drinking sodas on my own.

  • http://www.facebook.com/erica.hampton.7 Erica Hampton

    Haven’t they heard of refills?

    • jason vorhees

      exactly!!!!!!!!

  • lalatarea

    Gtfoh! really, REALLY this is the MOST important issue for the state of New York? ok seems legit!

  • jason vorhees

    Is the intent of the ban a good idea? Yes …I think what people are missing here is that they are not trying to ban soda but specific PORTION sizes. If you want all that extra soda then guess what you can do….BUY ANOTHER SODA! No access is being limited here simply because….YOU CAN BUY ANOTHER SODA!

  • Sweet T

    I don’t think soda consumption is something that should be government regulated, but I do feel that people should be made aware of how it affects their health. Even just a can (12oz.) of soda can contain about 40 grams of sugar. That’s a lot of friggin’ sugar. And when you take into account that some people drink several per day, let’s not even start… That being said, obesity is out of control, but I do realize that what we eat also plays the primary role.

    While I don’t know everything what I can say is that my older brother put on about 60 lbs or so four years ago and he lost 25 lbs by just eliminating sodas/sugar drinks and replacing with water. Literally, no other significant change to his diet and he lost that much weight. Personally, I had a problem with mild acne that was pretty much eliminated (other than a pimple or two around menstrual) when I stopped drinking sodas and opted for mostly water and occasionally a hot or iced tea.

  • Miss Anonymous

    It will not help at all. I use to drink a total of 9 – 10 8oz (regular no diet) cokes a day and guess what, I wasnt obese. I quit because I went into a health nut stage. If someone wants a large amount of soda and they dont sell the size no more then they can just get 3 or 4 smaller ones to drink ay once. If you think about it, its a really good financial come up for the business cause they will pay more for 3 to 4 sodas then they would for the one big size.

  • Mzcali

    Ha that is really a joke. If they want to curb obesity then the FDA needs to actually regulate the hormones and crazy chemicals they’re stuffing in our food. Chickens should not be grown in 3 days, cows should actually be able to grazed and not just sit in knee high manure. But of course that would mean that the big food industry will stop greasing the pockets of all these politicians.

    • jason vorhees

      The fda doesnt need to regulate hormones and chemicals etc you know why. You as the consumer have a choice. Im a vegan (((yes black vegans do exist))) and all my produce shopping is done from local farmers at farmers markets weekly. (organic) When i was a meat eater the meats i was purchasing were from local farms that werent part of the mass production meat markets. Yes i know that all of us dont have this type of immediate access to healthier alternatives but at the same time one of the fastest ways to begin curbing some of these health issues is to stop buying fast food, junk food and drinking soda. That same 20 dollars you just spent for 3 meals at mcdonalds could buy a weeks worth of fresh vegetables at your local grocery store.