Preservationist Judge Saves New York’s Super-Sized Sodas

“A New York State Supreme Court judge has halted the new regulation banning sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces, which was supposed to take effect Tuesday. He described the law as ‘arbitrary,’ questioning whether it would actually lead to the intended decline in obesity rates.”

— “Big soda wins its day in court,” Sarah Kliff, Washington Post blog

“Big Soda 1, Big Government 0: Judge Sinks Bloomberg’s Signature Drink Ban,’ James Poulos, Forbes

Judge Strikes Down NYC Ban on Supersized Sodas,” Jennifer Peltz, AP

“Judge Blocks New York City’s Limits on Big Sugary Drinks,” Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times

New York City: Panic in Sugar Park!

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed ban on big sugary sodas seems to have lost its fizz. The backlash and outrage have quenched any chance of its adoption:

“Mayor Bloomberg’s soda ban proposal hits the wall,” Marion Nestle, Food Politics

There’s also a super-sized lobbying campaign by a soft drink industry front group.

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Image (“New York’s Endangered Species?”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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This Just In: Sugar Water is Bad for Kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants America’s kids and teens to stop chugging the sugary sports drinks and caffeinated energy drinks that make youngsters edgy and obese. This should not be news, since no one benefits from sports swill. Doctors agree that the best product for hydration is water.

Sugar-Sweetened Drinks: Bigger Than Ever

Bechara Choucair, MD., Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health on the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax :

“. . . the challenge for those of us in public health is as clear as a glass of water. Convince the electorate that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: that the amount people would pay upfront in SSB taxes is a pittance compared to society’s savings down the road in reduced medical costs and longer and more productive lives—assuming taxes would result in reduced consumption of SSBs.

If it does, SSB levy is not only a tax all of us can live with, but live healthier.”

“Whatever the outcome of the current debate to increase taxes on SSBs, there is no denying that America’s obesity epidemic—leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other public health ills, is taking a terrible human and financial toll on the nation. We currently spend an estimated $79 billion annually in obesity-related health care costs; and that figure rises each year.”

— “The Debate Over Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages,” Bechara Choucair, MD, Britannica Blog.

Who could be against that? Big sugar, big bottlers, big beverage haulers and big retail, all masquerading as “Americans Against Food Taxes.”