New York Mayor Bloomberg Proposes Ban on Super-Sized Soft Drinks.

Discussion in 'Serious Chat' started by Hybrid, Jun 1, 2012.

  1. #1
    Hybrid

    Hybrid Has gone Rogue. LPA Team

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    http://topnews.us/content/248615-ny-mayor-bloomberg-bans-super-sized-soft-drinks

    So I know that this guy is trying to do what's best from a health stand point, but what about how everyone in the country having the right to free will? Has govenment over-stepped it's boundaries here? From a personal standpoint, I will buy a large drink just so that it lasts longer while I'm at work. What are your thoughts on this?
     
  2. #2
    Amanda

    Amanda RIP Chester LPA Super VIP

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    He's not actually BANNING soft drinks.
    It's not a violation of free will.
    He's forcing people to recognize what the portion sizes truly are by not allowing places to sell 24 oz Red Bull, instead you can get 2 12 oz Red Bulls.
    You can still purchase the same amount, it's just making people aware of HOW MUCH they are consuming which most people do not account for.
     
  3. #3
    Hybrid

    Hybrid Has gone Rogue. LPA Team

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    I don't see the point. Why go through the hassle then and just save a bunch of money by letting things be? When I get a large soft drink, I know just how much is in it. Maybe they will start documenting how much time parents are allowing their kids to watch tv and limiting them on how much crap food they feed their kids. I think there is a bigger issue going on than just blaming soft drinks for all of life's problems. Also, comparing it to alcohol? Is this guy serious?
     
  4. #4
    Jesse

    Jesse Out of the abyss. LPA Über VIP

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    One question, what about 2-3liter bottles sold at wal-mart, etc? Those might be banned?
     
  5. #5
    Brandon

    Brandon I was Ree's 100th follower on Twitter.

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    Why do all these headlines keep saying the mayor has banned soft drinks? I'm not blaming the OP necessarily, but EVERYWHERE I see this it says he "banned soda." That's simply not true.

    As for the ban on huge drinks, I'm not sure how I feel. It does annoy the shit out of me when I order a "medium" drink at Wendys and get handed a fucking bucket, but government probably shouldn't force places to do this.
     
  6. #6
    travz21

    travz21 Muscle Museum LPA Super Member

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    Government loves trying to protect us from ourselves. How dare we put what we want into our own bodies!
     
  7. #7
    SuperDude526

    SuperDude526 Well-Known Member

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    How dare government do things!
     
  8. #8
    travz21

    travz21 Muscle Museum LPA Super Member

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    So you don't agree that we should be able to do whatever we want with our own bodies? There is no such thing as a victimless crime. If I want to shoot up heroin and smoke some weed, why shouldn't I be able to? Because it's bad for me, so you want someone to protect me from myself? I already know the dangers.


    Edit: And what about banning skydiving, high-sodium foods, drinking too much water, having unprotected consensual sex with whoever we want, going for a run in dark alleyways, etc. Why aren't those illegal? Those things are bad for our health too.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2012
  9. #9
    Brandon

    Brandon I was Ree's 100th follower on Twitter.

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    I'm very much a Libertarian, but let me just play devil's advocate. Obesity in this country is a problem, we all know that. There's all sorts of health issues that come from being very overweight. People "know the dangers," but I'm sure they don't expect anything really bad to happen to them, or else they probably wouldn't eat/drink what they do. when something bad actually happens to them, don't they regret not being healthier?

    If people can't make great decisions on their own, is government supposed to just sit back and watch while the country gets more and more unhealthy? Granted, government involvement in the food industry has actually contributed to health problems and the rise of fast food, but at some point don't they have to kind of herd the sheep a bit?
     
  10. #10
    Hybrid

    Hybrid Has gone Rogue. LPA Team

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    I ain't nobodies sheep. I can think for myself.
     
  11. #11
    Mark

    Mark Canadian Beauty LPA Administrator

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    Fixed thread title, as it was misleading. It's not a ban on soft drinks, it's a ban on super-sized portions of soft drinks.

    When I was in the U.S. three years ago one of the things that astounded me were the portion sizes of food, especially at fast food restaurants and convenience stores. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to mandate smaller portion sizes.
     
  12. #12
    Hybrid

    Hybrid Has gone Rogue. LPA Team

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    Thank you for fixing the title. I realized after I posted it that I should have done it a little better.
     
  13. #13
    Kameiko

    Kameiko Ketchup Face

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    I think it's a good thing really.
     
  14. #14
    Tim

    Tim My perversion power is accumulating LPA Super Member

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    SOCIALISM.
     
  15. #15
    Hybrid

    Hybrid Has gone Rogue. LPA Team

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    You can't explain that.:billoreilly:
     
  16. #16
    Benjamin

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    I'm pretty pragmatic with these types of proposals. One thing that I'm strongly against is the notion of taxing unhealthy foods, since it would make it harder for the poor to get food (since unhealthy food is cheaper than healthy food). With that said, soft drinks really aren't a necessity in any shape or form. I really don't see this being different then a cigarette tax, other than the fact that it's technically not a tax.
     
  17. #17



    Considering the fact that more than 1 in 3 American adults are Obese, and how 17% of american children are obese...

    ... I fully support it. It doesn't violate anyone's rights. Nobody needs supersized soft drinks. If people want to drink a lot of pop, then just buy two. Seriously, without these kinds of rules being imposed, America is going to go into a deeper hole when it comes to the Obesity crisis.

    EDIT: Check this out. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2012
  18. #18
    travz21

    travz21 Muscle Museum LPA Super Member

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    What if people don't care if they are unhealthy? What if they don't want to workout and they love all kinds of foods? What if they want to smoke a joint? What if they know the risks, like 99% of people do these days? For the government to make these kinds of decisions says that they know what's best for us, and we are too stupid to know these things. This obviously isn't the case. They aren't scientists or specialists. They relatively know the same things we do. So why should we let these people make decisions on personal matters that affect nobody but ourselves? Are we too stupid to make our own choices? And even if we are too stupid and they know 100% what they are talking about, shouldn't we still be free to do what we want with our bodies? Do we not own our bodies? Do we need government to tell us when to eat, what to eat, when to shower, when to take a shit, how much to sleep, and who we can or can't fuck or marry? Should it be illegal if we don't do what they claim is best for us? If we are content with letting government run our lives, why bother thinking at all? What is the point?

    What's next? They won't allow you to buy a normal bag of chips? You're gonna have to buy the snack-sized bags that are in vending machines? I won't be able to buy a 32 ounce steak? Why don't they just ban alcohol again? Those are empty calories that hurt you as much as pop does. What about cigarettes? We have to prevent people from getting cancer!
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2012
  19. #19
    Derek

    Derek LPAssociation.com Administrator LPA Administrator

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    I'm already putting my fingers down my throat to make myself throw up and vomit over what I'm about to say: For once I actually agree with travz on something.

    People have the right to do what they want with their bodies. The government does not have the right to ban/mandate what size soft drinks can be sold, just like they cannot tell me (or anyone else) not to buy a quadruple pounder cheezeburger with extra bacon, double cheese, barbeque sauce and a milkshake plus a chocolate pie for dessert.

    If someone wants to rot their bodies and die a little inside by eating fast food/drinking sugary soft drinks...while digesting 1150 calories in one sitting, it is their personal right to make that decision. All this will make people do is buy two 12 oz and drink both...because you can't make people not do something they don't want to do. Since when has banning something/making it illegal ever stopped people from doing it? This is a pointless ban, and a waste of time. Especially since government shouldn't have the right to tell people what to order at the fast food drive-in window.
     
  20. #20
    Benjamin

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    But soft drinks aren't being banned. You just have to buy another bottle like you said. So if people insist on wanting that 2 liter bottle, they can still drink that portion...they'll just have to pay more for it. The way you're wording your post makes it sound like people can't drink soda anymore.

    I will say that things like this do begin to approach a gray area, but this particular proposal isn't that bad in my opinion.

    Edit: Also, I'm pretty sure that this in fact still only a proposal (*edits title again :lol:*). So it might not happen anyways.
     

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