Discussion: Bloomberg's Ban On Large Sugary Drinks

[Thought Crime]

Well for one thing supply and demand. But subsidies are a large part of it (most people have no idea what is subsidized... or what subsidies are). Specifically things like high fructose corn syrup.

The prices of healthy food have increased steadily. Ask your grandparents, about fresh vegetables. If Americans go to Europe, they may be surprised to find for example how cheap vegetables are (given how expensive everything else is).

And here is a fairly dry article

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/04/us-food-costs-idUSTRE7734L620110804

I consume a fairly good amount of what is healthy. But then it depends what you're adding to it. By adding dressing to salad, it then becomes somewhat unhealthy.

I think what is important to take away from this proposd ban on soda: is that if people want to destroy themselves in different ways, let them. It only becomes a concern to society when it affects everyone else. And, unfortunately, it does. It costs us all. But certain battles need to be left to the individual alone to fight. Am I wrong about that?

 

[enterthemadness]

Imma drink a Dr. Wham now and c-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e. Celebrate. Damn, I spell good for a Southern guy. I'm just joking....I'm making a joke.


I'm never quitting soda on me own. No. Yeah....I'm a addict. And right now teh body is saying 'Bro...now...I need some.. NOW, NOW, NOW now lol'

I'm sorry, I read the thread title and couldn't take anything seriously.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I understand that it can be hard. Like with with soda, I'm asked how much of it I consume. I haven't been told to quit it, just keep consumption of it minimal. Even 2 a day is said to be too much. I know which one's to stay away from. I enjoyed the Dew. But the last few times I had it, I didn't feel quite right. So I stay away from it from now on.

Were you advised to quit soda?

People got to want to change, is my point. It's hard. But the want has got to be there and it has got to be greater than the difficulty.

I wasn't advised, I just recognized the fact that I've gained a lot of weight since high school (about 60 pounds) and I'm horribly out of shape. Thanks to the massive amounts of soda and junk food that I eat while living a sedentary lifestyle. But my point is that quitting these awful foods and drinks is a lot like quitting smoking or giving up drinking. The body has developed a dependency on these chemicals going in and just giving them up, especially cold turkey, causes a lot of discomfort.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I am curious about how diet soda works. At least when it comes to weight loss.

 

[Thought Crime]

I am curious about how diet soda works. At least when it comes to weight loss.

It's worse, supposedly. Diet don't even taste that good. Caffine Free Coca-Cola tastes pretty good. I'll switch to it if I hit my limit for sodas containing caffine. The dark sodas are said to be worse.

 

[Thundercrack85]

The only thing I've read on the subject is that it throws off your metabolism.

Probably should read up on this.

 

[Thought Crime]

For me, it does get to a point where consuming too much soda in a little amount of time, it gets to tasting not so good. I don't quite understand how alcoholics can drink 6 - 8 beers in at a time. I couldn't drink 6 - 8 sodas at a time.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

I used to drink 4-6 sodas a day when I was in middle and early high school but I dropped down to 1-2 when I got to know the effects of them. Once I got to college, I would only have it occasionally when eating out with friends. Now, I don't drink them at all and can probably say it's been roughly 3-4 years since my last soda. Same thing with alcohol, as the last drink I had was at a friend's wedding back in 2009. I just never developed a taste/liking for the stuff. About the only things I drink now are water, fruit juices, and milk.

 

[Victarion]

The majority of fruit juices may as well be soda, unless you're making your own.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

The majority of fruit juices may as well be soda, unless you're making your own.

Making my own lemonade and orange juices really helps cut down on unnatural ingredients.

 

[Doctor Evo]

The only thing I've read on the subject is that it throws off your metabolism.

Probably should read up on this.

I think it has less to do with your metabolism than it does with the mechanisms that control hunger (signalling from the brain, etc.).

In any case, I switched to diet soda from regular quite a while ago, and manage to maintain a (relatively) healthy body weight. I've had fluctuations (ballooned to 250 lbs, dropped to 170 lbs, stayed at about this weight for 3 - 4 years now), but I don't believe that diet soda played much of a role.

 

[Destructus86]

The only thing I've read on the subject is that it throws off your metabolism.

Probably should read up on this.

And the harmful effects caused by sugar substitute.

 

[SV Fan]

Personally I think the only way to attack Sugary drinks is a sin tax plus stop federal subsidies for anything sugar related(which can't be done at a city level)

 

[enterthemadness]

uh oh guys. a Mtn Dew 20 oz bottle is near me.


oh wait, Bloomberg ain't near me and this ain't NYC.

 

[justinlancaster]

People just need information. Sin taxes do relatively nothing compared to knowledge and social stigma. Take smoking for instance.

http://tinyurl.com/c7okms6 - Gary Taubes "why we get fat and what to do
about it''

http://tinyurl.com/ce8cb8m - Tim Ferriss "4 hour body"

http://gizmodo.com/5709913/4+hour-body-+-the-slow+carb-diet

I was on the Slow Carb Diet at the beginning of the year and lost 15-20 pounds in 30 days eating 4 meals a day and not exercising. People just need to understand why they gain weight and they can tweak their diet accordingly.

 

[SV Fan]

People just need information. Sin taxes do relatively nothing compared to knowledge and social stigma. Take smoking for instance.

Sin tax basically can be reinvested in healthcare, since chances are sugar drives up healthcare costs

 

[justinlancaster]

Sin tax basically can be reinvested in healthcare, since chances are sugar drives up healthcare costs

http://tinyurl.com/dyxpgze

Take a look at that link. The study shows that its cheaper on the healthcare system to take care of smokers and the obese than healthy people on average. Using the logic of sin taxes, since its cheaper to take care of smokers and obese people, shouldn't we be subsidizing Marlboro and Little Debbie?

 

[Handsome Rob]

Sin tax basically can be reinvested in healthcare, since chances are sugar drives up healthcare costs

Will this apply to anything with sugar?

Welch's 100% grape juice has 36 grams of sugar in an 8-oz serving.

An 8-oz can of Coca-Cola? 27 grams.

If we're going to apply sin taxes to soda, we should apply it to fruit juice, as well. Right?

 

[SV Fan]

If we're going to apply sin taxes to soda, we should apply it to fruit juice, as well. Right?

If it natural sugars no but if it an additive sure why not

 

[justinlancaster]

If it natural sugars no but if it an additive sure why not

Why should we have a sin tax at all?

 

[SV Fan]

Why should we have a sin tax at all?

Well we do for booze and smokes. As I said I would take any cash made from a sin tax on sugar and put it into healthcare.

Personally I look at sugar no different then alcohol or nicotine in terms of being a drug, infact I would argue sugar is more addictive(it's just that people don't view sugar as a drug that it's not considered a problem)

 

[justinlancaster]

Well we do for booze and smokes. As I said I would take any cash made from a sin tax on sugar and put it into healthcare.

Personally I look at sugar no different then alcohol or nicotine in terms of being a drug, infact I would argue sugar is more addictive(it's just that people don't view sugar as a drug that it's not considered a problem)

Why put it into healthcare?

 

[SV Fan]

Why put it into healthcare?

To much Sugar will lead alot of people to health problems, I guess arguments could be made state/federal governments should divy the cash up how they please but I think healthcare would be the perfect place to put the money given the effects of sugar(or to much sugar)

 

[justinlancaster]

To much Sugar will lead alot of people to health problems, I guess arguments could be made state/federal governments should divy the cash up how they please but I think healthcare would be the perfect place to put the money given the effects of sugar(or to much sugar)

Smokers and the obese cheaper to care for, study shows

LONDON — Preventing obesity and smoking can save lives, but it does not save money, according to a new report.

It costs more to care for healthy people who live years longer, according to a Dutch study that counters the common perception that preventing obesity would save governments millions of dollars.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/05iht-obese.1.9748884.html
______________________________________________

Smokers and obese people cost the healthcare system less than healthy people on average over their life span, so why would we institute a sin tax on sugar? If sugar -> obesity -> Shorter life span/Less healthcare costs, why put a sin tax on any sugary drink and dump that money into healthcare? Shouldn't we institute a tax on organic vegetables and free range chicken since healthy people put more of a strain on our healthcare system?

 

[SV Fan]

Smokers and the obese cheaper to care for, study shows

LONDON — Preventing obesity and smoking can save lives, but it does not save money, according to a new report.

It costs more to care for healthy people who live years longer, according to a Dutch study that counters the common perception that preventing obesity would save governments millions of dollars.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/05iht-obese.1.9748884.html
______________________________________________

Smokers and obese people cost the healthcare system less than healthy people on average over their life span, so why would we institute a sin tax on sugar? If sugar -> obesity -> Shorter life span/Less healthcare costs, why put a sin tax on any sugary drink and dump that money into healthcare? Shouldn't we institute a tax on organic vegetables and free range chicken since healthy people put more of a strain on our healthcare system?

lol never thought of it that way

All that being said sin tax or not, I don't think the Government should subsidize the Sugar Industrial Complex