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Bloomberg: Lots Of Soda Bad But "One Doughnut’s Not Going To Hurt you"
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 1, 2012
Modified Jun 1, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 1, 2012
Modified Jun 1, 2012
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This morning, Mayor Bloomberg continued his media tour to tout his ban of sugary drinks over 16 ounces. This morning, he appeared on the Today Show and host Matt Lauer tried to call him out on his support of National Doughnut Day and unveiling of one-foot-in-diameter doughnuts from Entenmann's. Lauer said, "It sounds ridiculous," to which Bloomberg replied, "C’mon, it doesn’t sound ridiculous. One doughnut’s not going to hurt you. In moderation, most things are O.K."
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Why isn't it okay to have soda in moderation, while we can shotgun Entenmann's doughnuts (and chocolate chip cookies, nom nom nom)? Because people can't tell how much soda they are drinking, where as people will apparently know the difference between one and one hundred doughnuts! He said, "All the studies show if the glass or the plate in front of you is smaller, you’ll eat less... We’re not banning you from getting the stuff. It’s just if you want 32 ounces, the restaurant has to serve it in two glasses. That’s not exactly taking away your freedoms. It’s not something the Founding Fathers fought for... In the case of full-sugared drinks, in moderation it’s fine, and all we’re trying to do is to explain to people that if you drink a little bit less you will live longer."
The mayor also scoffed at people who didn't think the ban would work: "Where did I hear this before? Wasn’t it [that] smoking wasn’t going to work? Today it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done. Deaths from smoking dramatically coming down across the country, virtually every major city has adopted the smoking ordinances." A former smoker told the Today Show she was glad that Bloomberg was going after fatties:
"When I heard the news, I felt like Etta James - 'At Last.' People have long applauded the mayor's decision to ban smoking in public. And, as a former smoker, I kept thinking: Why is smoking the only costly, life-threatening behavior being punished when obesity represents a health epidemic in this country? It's crazy that parents can buy their kids these drinks with hundreds of calories with zero regard for the health implications and the potential impact that can have.
For what it's worth, it's definitely provoking debate!
Tagged
mayor bloomberg
moderation
national donut day
national doughnut day
obesity
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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