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http://www.fitlife.tv/featured/nyc-mayor-bloomberg-seeks-ban-on-super-size-sugared-drinks/ FACEBOOK http://www.manifestlegacy.com May 31 (Bloomberg) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg intends to restrict sales of sugary soft drinks to no more than 16 ounces a cup in city restaurants, movie theaters, stadiums and arenas, administration officials said. The Health Department plans to propose the ban as an amendment to the Health Code at a June 12 meeting of the Board of Health, according to Samantha Levine, a mayoral spokeswoman. The move to ban super-sized sugared soft drinks, first reported in the New York Times yesterday, is the latest of several anti-obesity and nutrition initiatives undertaken by the administration. It is among strategies to combat what the administration has described as an epidemic of obesity and related illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. "Obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the U.S., public health officials are wringing their hands saying, 'Oh, this is terrible,'" the Times quoted Bloomberg saying in an interview. "New York City is not about wringing your hands; it's about doing something. I think that's what the public wants the mayor to do." The city's health department has posted anti-sugary drink ads inside subway trains for three years. In 2008, the city required restaurant chains to post calorie-counts on menus. In 2006 and 2007, the Board of Health and City Council banned artery-clogging trans-fats from restaurants and prepared foods. In 2003, Bloomberg blocked the beverages from vending machines in schools and city-owned buildings. Voice Disapproval "The people of New York City are much smarter than the New York City Health Department believes," Kirsten Witt Webb, a Coca-Cola Co. spokeswoman, said today in an e-mail. "They can make their own choices about the beverages they purchase. We hope New Yorkers loudly voice their disapproval about this arbitrary mandate." Jeff Dahncke, a spokesman for PepsiCo Inc., referred questions to the New York City Beverage Association. A spokesman for Starbucks Corp. and a spokeswoman for McDonald's Corp. didn't immediately respond to e-mails and calls for comment. The American Beverage Association and the National Restaurant Association also said they oppose Mayor Bloomberg's proposal. Both lobbying groups said calories from sugary beverages as a percentage of Americans' diets are declining. U.S. soft drink sales have fallen for seven straight years, according to Beverage Digest. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/05/31/bloomberg_articlesM4VAOF1A74E901-M4W56.DTL#ixzz1wTIHWeHb