The battle
lines have been drawn and the time for reckoning has come!
In what has
become a test case of how America handles its burgeoning obesity problem, New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s controversial proposal to ban super-sized
colas at local restaurants has won unanimous approval from the city’s Board of
Health.
Though a final
vote is not scheduled until September 13, a public hearing is scheduled for
July 24 as the measure enters a 90-day comment period.
If passed, the
ban – the first of its king in the United States – could take effect by March
next year.
New York City's Health
Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley says the ban has become necessary because the
obesity problem has reached crisis proportions and sugary soft drinks bear a
disproportionate share of the blame for making people fat.
Obesity kills 5,800 people every
year in New York City, the Health Department says. Diabetes, a disease that can
be linked to obesity, kills 1,700 more people. An additional 2,600 are admitted
to hospital for limb amputations from diabetes complications.
City health officials estimate
that treating health problems caused primarily by obesity in New York City
costs $4 billion per year.
The ban would apply to any
beverage with more than 25 calories per 8 fluid ounces. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are
both about 100 calories per 8 ounces.
However, in an alarming
development, some New York City Board of Health members went a step ahead and
wondered why the city wasn’t going further and limiting portion sizes of other
popular high-calorie foods, reports The
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Bloomberg's plan has been met with wide opposition by the
beverage and restaurant industries.
Andrew Moesel, a spokesman for
the New York City Restaurant Association, says: “Some of the board members
seemed to think that the proposal didn't go far enough, and I found that very
alarming."
He said his organization would
consider legal action.
No comments:
Post a Comment