If you tell me I can’t have a doughnut, I’ll want a doughnut.
If you tell me I can’t have pizza, I’ll want pizza.
If you tell me I can’t have a regular Pepsi, I’ll want a regular Pepsi.
Perhaps I’ve been watching too much reality television, but I didn’t even know that Mayor Bloomberg was banning the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces. Apparently it’s his way of battling the obesity epidemic. Seeing as how I don’t care for sugary drinks and don’t live in New York City, it really won’t affect me. The older I get the more I despise the taste of anything too sweet, anyway. On the rare occasion I get to visit NYC I have yet to enjoy a non-diet soda of any size.
I’ve also been battling my weight for over 20 years.
On the one hand I understand where he’s coming from. It’s perhaps a little too easy to purchase a ginormous container that practically scream type II diabetes. But on the other hand it might be infringing upon some rights.
Education and common sense have taught me that donuts deep fried and coated with bacon are bad for my body. It’s also taught me that fast food restaurants could care less about the size of our waistlines. Don’t want fries with your meal? Arby’s is more than willing to substitute deep fried potato cakes. If you’re going to make that your side item, would you like some cheddar cheese dipping sauce? How about an appetizer of deep fried mozzarella sticks and a cherry turnover for dessert? Now don’t forget about your drink!
Despite all of the other bad choices you’ve just made, remember that your beverage cannot be a regular soda larger than 16 ounces.
It comes down to convenience. We live in a society that pushes us to cram as much into a day as we possibly can. I’d say 90% of the time I go to a drive-thru the vehicle in front of me is a minivan full of kids, probably either on their way to or from some sports match. If I were a mother I’d most definitely choose fast food over cooking any day, and I’m certainly not saying that everyone with children makes that decision. However I roll my eyes at thought of dirtying dishes, and the only person I cook for is myself.
But I also admit to being fairly lazy.
Processed sugar, the kind that’s found in regular soda as opposed to an orange, is bad for you. Really bad. Our bodies convert it into fat if we can’t process all of it. But I question how much of an impact that will have on the eating habits of NYC. Maybe it’ll help children make better food choices, but if an adult wants a 20 ounce Sprite, they will find a 20 ounce Sprite.
Americans (myself included) need to ‘want’ a healthy lifestyle before any changes can really be made. Maybe this ban will be a big step to putting an end to type II diabetes, but maybe it won’t. Maybe adults will begin to rethink their food choices, but maybe they won’t. Either way, I sincerely hope the mayor also implements education about the health hazards of putting bacon in everything. Sweet and savory is one thing, as in the occasional chocolate-covered pretzel. Slaughtering an innocent animal so one enjoy the saltiness of meat in an ice cream sundae is unethical, and just imagine what it’s doing to your arteries.