Bloomberg Expands War on Obesity With First-in-the-Nation Ban

Calling it the "most ambitious effort yet by the Bloomberg administration to combat rising obesity," Michael M. Grynbaum reports on the "first-in-the-nation" plan that would ban the sale of a range of sugary drinks, from sodas to energy drinks and iced teas, in sizes larger than 16 fluid ounces. Sweetened drinks are blamed for up to half of the increase in obesity rates in New York City over the last 30 years, where more than half of adults are obese or overweight, notes Grynbaum. 

"Mr. Bloomberg has made public health one of the top priorities of his lengthy tenure, and has championed a series of aggressive regulations, including bans on smoking in restaurants and parks, a prohibition against artificial trans fat in restaurant food and a requirement for health inspection grades to be posted in restaurant windows."

"The measures have led to occasional derision of the mayor as Nanny Bloomberg, by those who view the restrictions as infringements on personal freedom. But many of the measures adopted in New York have become models for other cities, including restrictions on smoking and trans fats, as well as the use of graphic advertising to combat smoking and soda consumption, and the demand that chain restaurants post calorie contents next to prices."