>>>>>>NYC passes another infringement of my rights..grrrrr
>>>>>>
>>>>>>http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/09/13/new-york-city-approves-ban-on-large-sodas
>>>>>
>>>>>Soda's toll on our health care system is enormous. Soda and other high-sugar food products have contributed to an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and other ailments in this country.
>>>>>
>>>>>The health care costs of the uninsured related to these high-sugar foods are paid by the insured through high premiums. Every time uninsured John gulps that 64-ounce Coke he's taking a nickel out of my pocket and yours.
>>>>>
>>>>>We have two options:
>>>>>1. Incentivize healthy consumption and discourage unhealthy consumption (make healthy food cheaper than unhealthy food via taxes and/or subsidies)
>>>>>2. Let uninsured people die
>>>>>
>>>>>Banning a size of container is neither solution 1 or 2 and is political stupidity at its finest.
>>>>
>>>>I'm interested in what the next steps will be.
>>>>
>>>>1. Ban Refills.
>>>>2. Ban anyone from buying more than one drink at time.
>>>>3. Ban anyone from buying a second drink after finishing the first.
>>>>4. Ban supermarkets from selling cases of pop. One can per customer limit.
>>>
>>>I suspect without any of those happening, people will drink a lot less soda. There's plenty of research that says that the amount people consume is relative to the container size. Give people a bigger plate and they eat more.
>>>
>>>I find myself of two minds on this one. I agree that this is not something for government control. OTOH, when you and I were growing up, places that sold cups of soda generally had three sizes that were 8, 12 and 16 ounces, respectively. Now, in many places, you can get a 16-oz. soda; the "small" (if they offer small) is 20 oz. or more. It's absurd.
>>>
>>
>>On this issue I am a complete free enterpriser. They have the right to sell in any portion size they choose. If there weren't a market for supersized soft drinks they wouldn't bother trying to sell them. You can't legislate intelligent choices.
>
>Yes, they have the right to sell any portion size they want. But it's frustrating that one can't buy a reasonable portion size. That's actually true for a lot of stuff in this country and it's part of why we have an epidemic of obesity and diabetes.
>
>I've been to a couple of restaurants in the last few years that guarantee that what's on the plate is below a certain number of calories. Each of them offered really good food, well-prepared and interesting. I can only hope this is the beginning of a trend.
>
>One of the two is a small chain: http://www.seasons52.com/. Note that even there, if you get an appetizer, a main course and a dessert, and each is at the 475-calorie maximum per plate, you're talking about 1425 calories, which is close to a day's ration for a lot of women.
>
>
>>One thing that amuses me about the whole issue is that some fast food places do not even include Small as a soft drink choice on the menu. I will never forget stopping at a McDonald's somewhere in Georgia on the way to Orlando. I ordered a Big Mac, regular fries, and small Coke. (Yeah, I know, bad Mike). The young lady behind the counter said we don't have Small as a size. The rest of the conversation:
>>
>>"What sizes do you have?"
>>"Medium, Large, and Extra Large."
>>"Which of those is the smallest?"
>>"The Medium."
>>"I'll have one of those, then."
>>"OK."
>>
>>Maybe she was just having some fun with me because of my yankee accent.
>
>I see that all over the place.
>

The sizes or the reaction to yankee accents?