Facebook Pixel

Large Soda Ban in NYC Dismissed and Mississippi Agrees

By HERWriter Guide
 
Rate This
Mississippi agrees with dismissal of NYC's large soda ban Hemera/Thinkstock

I wrote an article for EmpowHER recently about Mayor Bloomberg's attempt to ban large sugary drinks from restaurants.

He wanted these super-sized behemoths to be taken off menus. A person would still be able to get a pretty large drink and have free refills.

His attempt failed due to the ban being blocked by a New York judge, at least for now.

Many in New York are upset. They think that legally curbing certain food choices (much like was done with trans fats) will lead to better health in general and lessen medical costs for the growing epidemic of obesity.

But others, including the state of Mississippi, vehemently disagree.

Citing personal choice and a distaste for government or legal interference with individual rights, this attempted ban on large sugary drinks caused an uproar. Commentators talked about their choice to eat or drink anything (in any amount) without any kind of interference.

Some compared these choices to the abortion debate.

Commentators wonder when the government will stop trying to run the lives of private citizens while others wonder why obese people who make poor nutritional choices should get free health care for their obesity-related illnesses, causing higher taxes or insurance hikes.

Sarah Palin showed up at a GOP conference, sipping a huge soda, telling the crowd that it's "just pop, with low-cal ice cubes in it." She received thunderous applause. Read more here: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sarah_pops_off_at_mike_eimIanq47kg...

Mississippi has taken it a little further, passing what some call the "Anti-Bloomberg Bill" (not the official name of the law), stating that no government entity other than State legislation can pass a bill like this.

Governor Phil Bryant signed this bill stating that "It simply is not the role of the government to micro-regulate citizens' dietary decisions," the governor wrote about his decision, "...the responsibility for one's personal health depends on individual choices about a proper diet and appropriate exercise."

According to U.S. News/Health, Mississippi is one of the leading "fat states" in America, taking the number one spot again in 2012.

EmpowHER has raised the topic of obesity and its impact on Americans and American health care many times.

In an article called The 10 Problems with Obesity EmpowHER's Dr. Carrie Jones lists diabetes, various cancers, heart disease and high pregnancy risks as further complications of obesity, as well as poor quality of life. High fat and high sugar foods have a direct influence on weight, as well as a sedentary lifestyle.

Tell Us
What do you think of this attempted ban on large sugary drinks as part of an effort to create at healthier life for Americans? Are the intentions good or is the government getting involved where it doesn't belong?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

SOURCES:

CNN. com. No soda ban here: Mississippi passes 'Anti-Bloomberg' bill, by Holly Yan. Web. Retrieved March 20th, 2013. CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/21/us/mississippi-anti-bloomberg-bill/index.h...

US News/Health. Top 10 Fat States: Where Obesity Rates Are Highest.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/photos/top-10-fat-stat...

EmpowHER.com. Obesity. The 10 Problems with Obesity. By Dr. Carrie Jones. Web. Retrieved March 20th, 2013.
https://www.empowher.com/obesity/content/10-problems-obesity

Reviewed March 27, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

Add a Comment1 Comments

Good piece, Susan. I'm a born New Yorker, who transplanted herself to Arizona (and all in good time from what I can tell). While I understand the concerns, I don't think government, on any level, has the right to dictate our personal choices. The minute it is allowed in one area, it snowballs into all the others. It started with smoking, is now onto obesity. What will follow that, and where will it stop? There will always be something that others think no one should be doing because they don't like it. We can't take away the free will (ability to choose for ourselves) that God gave us.

IF the argument really is higher medical costs, then you are talking a slippery slope with no end in sight. Look at boxers and football players, suffering head injuries. Is that not a "self-induced" medical issue due to their choices? Their medical care/needs also raises our costs and premiums. What about runners later in life with all kinds of joint problems from all the "healthy" running they did in their earlier years. That can easily also be called "self-induced" as they chose to do all that running in order to be "healthy".

There are far too many things that can affect all of us, regardless of what we do or don't do. Look at all the people who do everything right and still get these so-called smoking/obesity/sports related medical problems.

I'm not advocating that we do "unhealthy" things, but what is unhealthy for one, is not necessarily unhealthy for another.

Just my two cents.

March 27, 2013 - 12:10pm
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy
Add a Comment

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

Obesity

Get Email Updates

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!