New York City to restrict you right to choose
By bobmnu
@bobmnu (8157)
United States
May 31, 2012 1:57pm CST
It seems that NYC is very concerned that people are making the wrong choices so they are going to ban any soda sold in Restaurants, Stadiums or street vendors in a container larger than 16 oz. This will prevent obesity in people in NYC. Is this just another step in the Governments effort to run our lives and tell us what we can and can not eat. Remember it was an Assembly Man from NYC that wanted to ban the use of salt by restaurants in preparing the food you will buy. It was also Mayor Bloomberg who would not accept food for the homeless unless they could prove that it met the nutrition guidelines including the amount of sugar, salt and fats.
What next will we have to get approval from the government before we feed our families?
6 responses
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
31 May 12
On one hand, it does sound like New York City is interfering with the rights of the people. But on the other hand, we can not afford a country of obese unhealthy people. We are having a national health issue. We do not have the money to pay for the health issues that obesity causes.
So New York City government is imposing on the rights of the people to be as fat as they want to be but maybe it has to be done. We simply can not afford a a nation of obese people.
The government must force healthier choice on all of us. Is it going to help? I do not know. But we need to do something.
@nonersays (3344)
• United States
31 May 12
If they care so much for the health of obese people, instead of banning a certain size of drink they would make healthy food more affordable.
Highly processed foods, which are laden with extra sugars and fats, are cheaper, and last longer than fresh fruits and vegetables. When you're trying to feed a family of 3 on a budget of $30 or less a week, you gotta take what you can get cheaply in bulk.
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
31 May 12
It is a very complicated situation. I agree that healthy food needs to be made more affordable and available to everyone and everywhere.
We have a government that is getting more intrusive and even oppressive in some ways. Food is extremely expensive and literally more expensive act day. Health care costs are ...... What can you say about the costs of health care except that it is outrageous.
bobmnu, you make a very good point that companies can not refuse to hire someone who is overweight. That is not because of the government, it is because of lawyers. There are lawyers out there suing and suing and suing and suing.
I take the bus and last year, we had a bus driver who was extremely obese. He had problems with his breathing. He had to stop during his route and get out and stretch. I lived in fear that he was going to have a heart attack and die while driving the bus. I assume that my bus company was sued because they would not hire someone with his weight problem and they were forced to hire him. It was a danger to the passengers as well as other drivers and pedestrians. I have not seen him for some time.
I also recently saw a young man at a religious observance. There was food. This young man was already extremely obese and he was eating and eating and eating. He was guzzling himself. His parents did nothing to stop him. I felt like saying something.
My grocery store gives out a lot of sample. Parents bring their children and the kids are allowed to freely run around the store and guzzle samples. The parents do not control the eating habits. Some of the kids are already fat.
One more perplexing problem for society to ponder and come to terms with.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
1 Jun 12
Do You think you'd be allowed to get a larger sized cup if You're only drinking Diet sodas or water?
@adforme (2114)
•
1 Jun 12
I heard about the impending restriction on soft drink sizes in restaurants/vending machines in New York. This is crazy to me. I am just really glad not to be a New Yorker right now. If I want a drink, and I know I can get it over 16 ounces; I want that option. What is the mayor of New York thinking? Obesity is not the fault of a restaurant chain or a vending machine. When the mayor sees that forced drinking portions are not the issue, I guess he is going to come to realize that it is up to people and parents to control weight and portions. This is so unfair to people who go to restaurants and use vending machines. People like choices. Well, eating/drinking at home is what I prefer anyway. For the most part, I can have as much as I want at home.
@GemmaR (8517)
•
31 May 12
I think that obesity is a very bad problem in most countries in the world at the moment, but I do think that it is a step too far to be doing things like that. If they can only sell things in smaller packages, then people are just going to be buying two of them, it's not going to stop people from being obese. There should be more education about the things that people could do in order to lose weight, but at the end of the day it should be up to individual people whether they choose to take the advice or not, and they should never be forced into making a decision.
@nonersays (3344)
• United States
31 May 12
I think that perhaps the government should stop worrying what people weigh, and worry instead about the important stuff, such as the lack of jobs available.
The food a person chooses to put into their body is of no importance to anyone except that person.
@NailTech (6874)
• United States
31 May 12
I heard that today and I think it is rather controlling. People have to do this on their own and not be told by the govt as far as a law on what to drink or eat. The homeless thing is another thing also that I didn't agree with. They have absolutely no food so why would he put a ban on anything you give them if you don't need it and have it to give. I think this just stinks. The govt should stay out of eating habits and find jobs and next to free health care for us all instead.
