New York soda ban hopes to help fight obesity

This week, New York set the bar a little higher for government stepping in to fight obesity. On Thursday, the New York City Health Department became the first local government force to step forward and ban the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces by movie theaters, food vendors, and sports arenas. To put that into perspective, the human stomach can comfortable hold about 30 ounces of fluid at full capacity. In 2011, Starbucks announced a new cup size just a bit larger than the size of the human stomach. The “trenta” cup holds 31 ounces. The 7-11 Big Gulp is 44 fluid ounces – nearly 46% larger than the human stomach. Although soda companies are upset and seeking action, the people of New York have expressed varying opinions about the mandate.  And many have used social media to speak out. “This is crap. Laws are for the protection of the people. Me drinking a 44 ounce Coke isn’t hurting anyone but my own fat self,” expressed one Facebook user. Another said “I’m all for it….sick of paying high insurance premiums; lack of healthy living education and ignorant people/parents who don’t teach their kids about healthy eating/exercise habits.” Another Facebook user, who was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, wasn’t sure how to feel, “I’m torn with this issue. Back in January I made a decision to completely cut any drink but water out of my life. At first I thought it was going to be impossible since I drank at least 4 cans of Coke every day and used to chug Minute Maid OJ like it was my job. When I was diagnosed I had an A1C level of 11.1 and an average sugar test would be over 300!!! Both of those numbers are incredibly bad. My cholesterol levels and blood pressure were both great but I had to make a change to fix the other problems. After a personal “ban” I imposed on myself I managed to bring my A1C down to a 6.1! My average sugar test results are between 75 and 120. These levels have brought me down to a normal level for a man my age. This only from cutting soda and other sugary drinks out of my life! Diet soda isn’t good for you either and I hate the taste of most things diet or lite but I do love ice water so it wasn’t terribly difficult change to make.” That user brings up a great point about how sugary drinks can affect a person’s life. America is by far the largest country on the planet, and there is no end in sight to the obesity epidemic. According to the CDC, 30% of American adults are now obese. Bariatric surgeons are also helping fight America’s obesity epidemic. MDnetSolutions helps bariatric practices get off the ground with bariatric call center support, marketing services, lead tracking, website design, and practice consulting. If you’re interesting in learning how MDnetSolutions can help your bariatric practice, call us at 1-888-986-3638.