John Curley


big_gulp.jpg
New York City is waging a new battle of the bulge with a ban on the sale of super-sized sodas and other sugary drinks. (AP image)

John Curley: NYC's ban on big drinks is a bust

BY Josh Kerns  on September 13, 2012 @ 10:51 am (Updated: 11:13 am - 10/3/12 )

New York City is waging a new battle of the bulge with a ban on the sale of super-sized sodas and other sugary drinks.

The restrictions put a 16-ounce size limit on cups and bottles of non-diet soda, sweetened teas, and other calorie-packed beverages.

The ban applies in fast-food joints, movie houses and Broadway theaters, workplace cafeterias, and most other places selling prepared food.

On Twitter, Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls it "the single biggest step any gov't has taken to curb #obesity. It will help save lives."

Will it work? KIRO Host David Boze says he lost 20 pounds just by switching to diet soda, but he says he doesn't support the ban.

"I'm not in favor then of telling people they can't have a larger Coke if they want."

Instead of an outright ban, some are proposing increased taxes on bigger beverages to keep people from buying them. But KIRO host John Curley says it's clear from cigarettes that sin taxes don't work.

"They will continue to buy it and it doesn't matter what you charge on it, they will spend the money on it," Curley says. "So what you're going to end up with is they're just as fat, but they're now more poor."

Advocates of the ban say in addition to helping battle the bulge, it could ultimately save us all money spent on health care related to obesity. But Curley says until the system actually penalizes people for their poor health choices, little will change.

"If all of a sudden you had to pay for your massive coronary, you may be less likely to eat the junk. But you don't care because you don't have to pay for it, so you'll eat whatever junk you want. And then while they're putting the paddles on you, you'll have them use the same paddles to toast your bread," Curley says.

The ban won't go into effect without a fight. A soft-drink industry sponsored group called New Yorkers for Beverage Choices, which says it has gathered more than 250,000 signatures on petitions opposing the soda plan, is considering a lawsuit and exploring legislative options for challenging the plan.

Soda makers and sellers say the plan unfairly singles out soft drinks as culprits for the nation's fat problem, represents an overweening government effort to regulate behavior and is so patchy as to be pointless. Because of the web of who regulates what, it would affect a belly-buster regular soda sold at a sports arena, but not a 7-Eleven Big Gulp, for instance.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Josh Kerns, MyNorthwest.com Reporter
Josh Kerns is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle Sounds (Saturday nights 7-8) and a digital content producer for MyNorthwest.com.
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Comments (3)


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  • BocaBob1 wrote...
    Big Nanny york
    September 13, 2012 12:54 pm
    What all fat people guzzle soda? this will end heart attacks? No education is the only key. Diet and dreaded exercise is the answer. How about make good lean food cheaper and make junk food more expensive? Now there is a solution.
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  • The Wiz wrote...
    Alternate Solution
    September 13, 2012 1:17 pm
    trans fats, big sodas, no happy meal toys...does anyone think these types of mandates will work? I have a different idea. Why don't we just throw all of the fat people into prison camps, reduce their calorie intake to 800 a day, and make them run until they puke? They can be released when they reach the Government approved BMI.I truly cannot understand why Government cares if people are fat. And don't give me the whole "cost of health care" bit. The Government shouldn't have any business with my private health care coverage.....oh wait....
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  • Stevebo wrote...
    Living in a "free" country should include the freedom to live unhealthy...
    September 13, 2012 2:38 pm
    I agree that people need to be drinking less soda and eating less junk (I'm currently trying hard to reduce the crap I'm putting into my body as well).

    That being said, I firmly believe that living in a free country includes the freedom to choose an unhealthy lifestyle if I want.

    I despise smoking... but I support the freedom of people to smoke (provided it doesn't unfairly infringe on my own health).

    I agree that people should exercise more and eat healthier. It will definitely lead to a dramatic reduction in obesity and health problems related with that.

    But... it is NOT the government's role to telle me what I should and should not be doing. I'm an adult and am capable of making my own choices (good OR bad).

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