The press is known to explode with news everyday, informing the people on different topics that are happening worldwide. The newest revelation is on the soda ban in New York. Websites and pages are plastered with information and headlines announcing how “Mayor Bloomberg is overreaching with N.Y.C. large soda ban” or “Banning the Big Gulp Ban”. Reporters are scrambling to join the bandwagon of criticizing or praising this mayor’s audacious decision. There are many factors that influence opinions on the matter, but one of the most popular reasons is because of the high numbers of people that are obese and overweight. Contrary to popular belief, being obese and being overweight have different meanings. Both are measured by the BMI scale, which is a calculation of weight and height, that determines that amount of …show more content…
The answer is simple--sugar. Sugar is just as deadly as a cigarette or a can of tobacco. Sugar is causing the obesity rates to skyrocket in America. Sugar has invaded every product that’s not naturally grown, it’s in yogurt, drinks, bread, and many other foods and drinks consumed on a daily basis. We need to start somewhere on banning sugar. That is why many propose regulating the purchases of carbonated drinks pact with sugar, or more commonly known as soda. One can of soda contains about 2.5 tablespoons of sugar, and on average, 9% of the daily calories consumed per person is from soda. Due to the high numbers of obesity in America, soda’s and other drinks high in sugar, should be regulated. Obesity can lead to many health problems. Some issues that can potentially occur because of what the person is eating include diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, body pains, and potential death (in fact, one article in The New York Times claimed sugar, more particularly soda, to “might just be the biggest killers via preventable disease in the country” (Mayor bloomington
When the 1970s introduced High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), a cheap sweetener alternative to sucrose in a fructose-glucose liquid form (fifty five percent fructose, forty two percent glucose, and three percent saccharides), it brought extensive numbers of health problems with it (Bray, 2004 & Johnson, 2010 ). Prior to the 70’s, on average, sugar contributed to four percent of daily caloric intake, however over the past four and a half decades, this statistic has increased to whopping sixteen percent, leading some scientist to consider it an “addiction” as they observe the sugar substitute wreak havoc on humans’ bodies worldwide (Butler, 2011). Along with hooking those who indulge sweets to it, High Fructose Corn Syrup also leads to obesity:
“New York City’s Board of Health today passed a rule banning super-sized drinks at restaurants, concession stands and other eateries.” (Doc A). Individuals in the United States are overweight because they do not know how to limit themselves. If the government were to control one of the main reasons people are obese, then several people would not be overweight because the government would take care of the problem. Banning sugary drinks over 16-ounces would help people lower their sugar intake, which would help people stay in excellent health.
Although sugar is seen as the public’s number one enemy. Nancy Appleton a writer who wrote Suicide By Sugar, blames the government and certain food industries for creating advertisements promoting bad sugars. But also in charge of creating the child obesity epidemic in America, endangering young children’s health in the U.S. Since some foods have artificial sugars, sugar decreases the quality of life in the U.S. Stated by the Journal of the American Heart Association Internal Medicine, “People who consumed more than a quarter of their daily calories as sugar… twice as likely to die” (Health, Richards). This statistic by a credible source pulls the audience in because they are part of that population who intake sugar and can die faster by consuming it.
It is believed that many of the soft drink companies are the main reason for the rise of obesity in America. As stated in the article Coca-Cola and the fight against the global obesity epidemic, “The soft drink industry as a whole, and Coke in particular, has received harsh criticism for contributing to the global obesity epidemic. ”(Gertner 15).This suggests that as soft drinks and other processed foods are becoming more popular it is heavily contributing to the recent rise in people becoming overweight. Before fast food and soft drinks were popular, less people were obese which leads to the speculation that it is a cause for the problem. On the other hand there are studies that reveal that dietary factors don’t always affect a person’s weight.
Does root beer and other sodas need sugar warning labels? Some people think that soda needs to have warning labels because it is loaded with sugar. I disagree with this because people have a right to chose is they drink poison or soda or water. It is completely their choice.
"It is believed that food and beverage manufacturers and industry groups that make sweeteners has spread misinformation and launches a sketchy public relations campaign to downplay serious health risks (Richards). " If we can not trust the hands that feed us, then it is time to make modifications in our diets. Cutting sugar out of our dietary will not only
In David Zinczenko’s essay “Don’t Blame the Eater”, the author shares his sympathy for a group of young people suing McDonalds for making them fat. Zinczenko makes a point that the surplus of fast food chains and the amount of advertising they are allowed has a serious effect on today’s youth. He goes on to argue his stance that the “eaters” are not to blame. His tone in the article struck me as if he was accusing those who hold unhealthy eaters responsible for their own actions as “victim blamers” who lack empathy and the understanding of how the food industries work. I felt as though he was coming off as too defensive and a bit arrogant.
Does anyone actually know the struggles that “tweens” face in life? At that ages of 8-12 life can be pretty tough when trying to keep up with the new fashion trends, clicks, and social status. At this point in time they are developing and trying to figure out who they really are and that’s tough. Especially when they are expected to fit a certain image that social media gives off. But people don’t come to realize what that high expectation causes tweens do.
You may say that sugar has now made a huge negative impact in our societies, and that is very true. While people get addicted to sugar with the frenzied rush and crash, horrendous diseases have been associated with consuming excessive amounts of sugar. When hearing about sugar causing diabetes, obesity, etc., many people may not think it is a big deal. But do you know that 30-35% of cancer deaths are also related with sugar
I. Summarize the documentary “Super Size Me”. Give a detailed description of the coverage of the documentary, and state briefly the “take-away” message it gives. Do not cut & paste from reviews of the movie from any source. This must be in your own words. The film Super Size Me follows a New York man named Morgan Spurlock as he undertakes a 30-day journey to prove the effects of eating fast food three times per day.
With the National Soft Drink Association disputing the role of sugar-sweetened beverages being affiliated with childhood overweight (Mello, Pomeranz, and Moran, 2008), and not everyone agreeing that these products should be taken out of the schools, this continuous situation could be a long legal battle where no positive health outcome is gained and profits will continue to be lost. “Adopting the criterion of economic efficiency implies that society makes choices which maximize the health outcomes gained from the resources allocated to healthcare” (Palmer and Torgerson,
Did you know that 60% of adults and one in four children in Australia are overweight or obese, making us one of the most overweight developed nations? Almost half of our population comsumes a sugary drink each day. I believe that it is about time we do something about this. With sugary drinks and weight related health problems closely linked, leading experts from the cancer Council, diabities Australia and the Heart foundation say the sugar tax would be a great solution.
Soda size bans would start the chain of less and less sugar consumption, directly making the population healthier, more energized, and happier in general. The ultimate plan is to get FDA support on gradually decreasing the maximum amounts of the unhealthy added components to the point where the difference is unnoticeable. The National Academy of Sciences reinforces that in the case of salt, “The goal is not to ban salt, but rather bring the amount of sodium in the average American’s diet below levels associated with risks, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke” (Nat’l Academy of Sciences). This clearly shows that these intentions are to bring down the average concentrations of these flavorings to a healthy level, not ban it. These limits might seem unnecessary or over-the-top, but the long-term effects would benefit the nation.
Obesity can be caused because added sugar is highly fattening. Sugary beverages are also the easiest way to consume excessive amounts of fructose says Joe Leech in his article " 13 ways that sugary soda is bad for your health" Sugar is added to so many of the foods we eat
A major reason for regulating sugary drinks is to prevent non-communicable diseases among children. If children consume sugary beverages every day, they may experience symptoms such as: weight gain, poor diet and health and tooth decay in children. Meanwhile, there is less control of sugar level which leads to diabetes. Another reason for regulating sugary drinks is to reduce pollution. Literature Review Sugary drinks are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.