Health News
- Nyc Deeply Split On Bloomberg Plan To Ban Supersize Sodas
Bloomberg with Linda I. Gibbs, deputy mayor for health. (New York Times photo by Chang W. Lee)In a bold move to curb obesity, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the sale of supersize sodas and other sugary drinks by restaurants,...
- Penny-per-ounce Tax On Sugar Drinks Could Save $17 Billion, Cut Consumption And Prevent Disease And Death, Academics Say
More than $17 billion in medical costs over 10 years could be saved if sugared drinks were taxed at 1 cent per ounce, and it would prevent 95,000 cases of coronary heart disease, 8,000 strokes and 26,000 premature deaths, say researchers at Columbia University...
- Just Say No To Liquid Calories
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Why do we always hear so much about ?cutting liquid calories? for a healthier diet? It?s because most of these sources contain loads of calories without any nutritional benefit. Liquid calories are a hidden source of sugars (and...
- Downsize Those Sugary Drinks!
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom It?s official ? Americans are drinking way too many sugary drinks. New results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) have documented some scary findings when it comes to consumption of sugary drinks....
- Choosing Healthy Drink Options
by Jason Bosley-Smith, CSCS, Live Well @ LifeBridge Did you know that a 20-ounce soda has about 17 teaspoons of sugar and over 200 calories? While many of us focus on food when we think of controlling calories, how often do we stop and think about our...
Health News
Bye-Bye Supersized Drinks?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
Across the nation nearly everyone I speak with has a strong reaction to last week?s plan led by New York City?s mayor to ban sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces (a typical ?medium?). This includes both bottled and fountain drinks containing more than 25 calories in an eight-ounce serving. The ban would not affect 100% juices or drinks containing 50% or more of milk or a milk substitute (like milkshakes).
Anyone wanting to purchase a 32-ounce drink can purchase two 16-ounce drinks. And that?s the source of the problem. Should the government intervene in a private area like food choice? Freedom of choice, with value is the question here. People have joked about what?s next: smaller slices of pizza, a thinner burger, smaller cookies?
While it seems unlikely that this policy will become a law, from both the regulatory and legal points of view, this attention-grabbing concept is causing a lot of controversy.
Going ?retro? on drink sizes makes a lot of sense, and it?s not a new concept. Twenty years ago, 16 ounces seemed like a big size, considering that seven- to eight-ounce servings were very common. And, in Europe, these mega-size cups are not even available. In my mind, size is all relative to what you?re accustomed to!
Is it unfair for people to pay more for a larger size drink? Do these supersized drinks contribute to obesity? Depending on the circumstances, the answer can be ?yes? or ?no.?
What do you think of this policy? And how do you think this policy would be received in the greater Pittsburgh region? I?d really love to hear your thoughts in this controversial area!
Here's an infographic from the CDC for some perspective on the change in portions over the years:
- Nyc Deeply Split On Bloomberg Plan To Ban Supersize Sodas
Bloomberg with Linda I. Gibbs, deputy mayor for health. (New York Times photo by Chang W. Lee)In a bold move to curb obesity, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the sale of supersize sodas and other sugary drinks by restaurants,...
- Penny-per-ounce Tax On Sugar Drinks Could Save $17 Billion, Cut Consumption And Prevent Disease And Death, Academics Say
More than $17 billion in medical costs over 10 years could be saved if sugared drinks were taxed at 1 cent per ounce, and it would prevent 95,000 cases of coronary heart disease, 8,000 strokes and 26,000 premature deaths, say researchers at Columbia University...
- Just Say No To Liquid Calories
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Why do we always hear so much about ?cutting liquid calories? for a healthier diet? It?s because most of these sources contain loads of calories without any nutritional benefit. Liquid calories are a hidden source of sugars (and...
- Downsize Those Sugary Drinks!
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom It?s official ? Americans are drinking way too many sugary drinks. New results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) have documented some scary findings when it comes to consumption of sugary drinks....
- Choosing Healthy Drink Options
by Jason Bosley-Smith, CSCS, Live Well @ LifeBridge Did you know that a 20-ounce soda has about 17 teaspoons of sugar and over 200 calories? While many of us focus on food when we think of controlling calories, how often do we stop and think about our...