Researchers Whose Work Was Cited to Justify Bloomberg's Large Soda Ban Explain Why It Won't Work : Volokh Conspiracy

Researchers Whose Work Was Cited to Justify Bloomberg’s Large Soda Ban Explain Why It Won’t Work : Volokh Conspiracy

Health • June 2012 • Views: 1,656

In trying to justify his proposed regulation banning large-size sodas, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg cited the work of economists Brian Wansink and David Just. In this recent Atlantic article, Wansink and Just explain that he got their work wrong:

I like Mayor Bloomberg, but I do think this soda regulation is too “nanny state”-ish. Plus, it is largely unenforceable, and according to the cited research, not really practicable, either.

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12 comments

EiMitch Sun, Jun 17, 2012 6:45:53am

Will Bloomberg quit this nonsense now?

SidewaysQuark Sun, Jun 17, 2012 8:20:38am

No one will ever figure out how to circumvent this law by buying TWO sodas....

Curt Sun, Jun 17, 2012 8:45:11am

re: #2 SidewaysQuark

No one will ever figure out how to circumvent this law by buying TWO sodas...

or 3 or 4 or enough to quench their thirst...

However, it is a evil genius who helped the Mayor figure out most car consoles only give you two cup holder spots....

bratwurst Sun, Jun 17, 2012 10:07:36am

I agree that this proposed regulation is well over the top and should be scrapped. Having said that, it would be nice to get some ideas about how to address the obesity epidemic (especially from those right-of-center) instead of only hearing what won't work.

Starting in the 1960s, smoking was treated as a national health emergency in the United States, leading to a plethora of regulations. The effects of obesity (ultimately leading to more than 20% of the population being diabetic) will make the health and financial impact of smoking seem like an outbreak of pink eye.

EiMitch Sun, Jun 17, 2012 2:56:08pm

re: #4 bratwurst

Setting regulatory limits on sugar and sodium content would be a good start. How much should be allowed per serving is something that needs to be hashed out. And if anyone says either of them should be banned outright, I'll f***ing kill him! j/k

But seriously, the limit shouldn't be zero nor otherwise ridiculously low.

Having said that, its comes down to changing the overall consumer culture. Politicians aren't able to do it all. Not even close. Of course, politicians can pass laws to regulate per-serving content as suggested above, and they can cease to subsidize questionable stuff like pushing to make us eat more cheese. But other than that though...

SidewaysQuark Sun, Jun 17, 2012 6:43:15pm

re: #5 EiMitch

Setting regulatory limits on sugar and sodium content would be a good start.

Um, no? If I want to buy three-layer Bacon-Burger-Sausage-Heart Terminator with a half-gallon big gulp, that's between me and my fat ass and no one else.

bratwurst Sun, Jun 17, 2012 6:48:23pm

re: #5 EiMitch

Setting regulatory limits on sugar and sodium content would be a good start.

Some of this was tried two years ago and one side of the political spectrum threw a shit fit.

Face it: regulation played a major role in the overall cultural shift that has lead to a drastic reduction in the number of American smokers. As long as a measurable percentage of Americans continue to see ANY new regulations as an affront to liberty, we only seem to go in circles in dealing with the public health crisis of our time.

EiMitch Sun, Jun 17, 2012 7:35:35pm

re: #7 bratwurst

Face it: regulation played a major role in the overall cultural shift that has lead to a drastic reduction in the number of American smokers.

You mean such as banning cigarette ads on tv, promoting anti-smoking PSAs, (which have been helmet-wearing retarded jokes as of late, but I digress) and more aggressively enforcing prohibition of sale to minors?

As long as a measurable percentage of Americans continue to see ANY new regulations as an affront to liberty,

So you ask for ideas, and then cry "defeat"? There is no easy answer, therefore the is no answer? Check your medication! If we can't make headway in the political arena, then we should fight in a different arena. Cultures aren't changed by winning one or two big battles and then calling it a day. The little victories do count.

re: #6 SidewaysQuark

Pay more attention! I was talking about per serving content. You know, proportion. For example: if a meal has more sodium per serving than bacon, is that not excessive?

I wasn't talking about shrinking meals. Thats a different battle, one that I too would prefer not to be legislative. (btw bratwurst, does that make me part of the problem?) I was talking about cutting down the empty calories (and salt) in what we do eat.

In other words, have your bacon cheeseburger. Just make it from slightly leaner beef, relatively less fatty bacon, and maybe reduced fat cheese.

And don't tell me it ruins the flavor. Salt, fat, sugar, and grease aren't the only cheap ways to add flavor. Its called "pepper." Don't like it? Well, there is a whole world full of spices and seasonings. And almost all of them are very cheap with effectively zero calories.

SidewaysQuark Mon, Jun 18, 2012 7:16:57pm

Yes, I still say screw that. Require that people be informed about what they're eating, on simple terms. Then, if they want to eat the equivalent of shit, let them. I really don't want government, or anyone else, telling kitchens how to cook.

Obdicut Tue, Jun 19, 2012 4:02:59am

re: #9 SidewaysQuark

You do want kitchens prevented from using poison in the food, right? Or spoiled meat?

EiMitch Tue, Jun 19, 2012 10:12:17am

re: #10 Obdicut

To be fair, equating junk food with poison is a straw man.

HappyBenghazi Tue, Jun 19, 2012 10:59:54am

I don't like Bloomberg's idea but I don't see it as a terrible tyranny either and I would like to see some alternatives other than just screaming nanny state when people try to come up with ways to combat the obesity epidemic.

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