By Deirdre Spilman
Opinion Editor
Residents of New York City have been relying on the dietary wisdom of Honey Boo Boo and her family for far too long. Many people enjoy ridiculous quantities of soda and are not willing to part with them.
On Monday, Judge Milton A. Tingling struck down Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to ban sugary drinks over 16 ounces from being sold at restaurants, arenas, food carts and theaters, according to a March 12 New York Times article.
“It is arbitrary and capricious because it applies to some but not all food establishments, and because it applies to some sweetened drinks but exempts others,” wrote Tingling in his decision as to why sugary drinks over 16 oz. should not become contraband.
It may not address all of the problem, but every bit helps. A crisis as big as obesity needs all the help it can get.
It is idiotic to stop something that would help us become a healthier nation. New York is the largest city in our country. People from elsewhere look to New York for the next big thing. Instead of promoting things like fashion trends, something beneficial to public health should be encouraged.
Obesity is a major problem in this country. If you don’t believe me, go to your local playground and look at all of the broken swing sets, or take a ride on a plane and see how many people cannot sit down without a seatbelt extension. It is prevalent in our society, and it has to stop.
It is true that once you are told not to do something, you want to do it even more – take drugs or any other illegal substance for instance. But this adage should not apply to soda. It will still be there, just not as much of it.
This nation needs education about the dangers of too much sugar if America wants to slim down. People know sugary drinks are bad, but many do not know exactly how harmful they can be or what they can do to your body.
“Sugary drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet, providing more than seven percent of daily calories on average,” according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
If we cut that out of our diets, think about how many needless calories we would be sparing ourselves.
I’m not saying that soda is horrible, just the extreme amounts of it. It is fine in moderation, but Americans have gone way past that.
Maybe once people realize they are digging their own graves by purchasing high-calorie beverages in large amounts, change will occur, but for now people need a bit of guidance.
Mayor Bloomberg has the citizens of New York City’s best interests in mind. The ban of large amounts of sugary drinks has the potential to be one of the best ways to attack the obesity crisis, and trying to stop it is trying to stop progress.
