Viewpoints: Bloomberg Defends Stand Against Sugary Drinks; Charging Higher Insurance Premiums To The Obese Misses Mark
Several outlets offer opinions on obesity issues and on the New York City mayor's proposal to curb the sale of sugary drinks.
USA Today: Big Sugary Drinks Yield Big Waistlines
Bold actions to protect the public's health always stir controversy at first. Smoke-free bars and restaurants, trans fat restriction and calorie posting in restaurants were all met with skepticism, but are now widely popular in New York City. They are also saving many lives each year, and life expectancy in New York City is outpacing that of the United States (Michael R. Bloomberg, 6/3).
USA Today: Editorial: New York Soda Cap Wouldn't Beat Obesity
If Mayor Michael Bloomberg gets his way, which he usually does, New Yorkers will soon no longer be able to buy sugary drinks in servings larger than 16 ounces. And Bloomberg sees his idea as a national model in the fight against obesity (6/3).
The Washington Post: Slurping Less Soda In New York
Sugary drinks have been the largest single contributor to the increase in Americans' caloric consumption over the past three decades. Soft drinks deliver roughly half the added sugar in the average American's diet. ... So, policies aimed at discouraging overconsumption of sugary soft drinks can make sense, as long as they are part of a broader, comprehensive anti-obesity effort to improve eating and exercise habits (6/2).
Los Angeles Times: Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Doughnuts And Big Gulps
Can Americans have their doughnuts and their Big Gulps too? It seems a timely question, what with Friday being National Donut Day -- and coming on the heels of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to limit the sale of super-size sugary drinks (Paul Whitefield, 6/1).
Denver Post: Obesity And Health Care: Prevention And Support, Not Penalties
Singling out obese individuals for higher insurance premiums based only on their weight is fundamentally unfair and will do little to improve the nation's health. A more productive approach would be to require insurance companies to provide at least minimal coverage for obesity treatment (Adam Gilden Tsai and Daniel Bessesen, 6/3).
Denver Post: Obesity And Health Care: Taxing "Bad" Food Is Offensive To Liberty
In a distortion of science right up there with the attempts of grant-seeking climate scientists to eradicate the Medieval Warm Period, money-grubbing governments are trying to convince Americans that there is a lot of unhealthy eating going on out there. Some people even claim that preserving good health requires giving government more money and power by letting it tax and control "bad" food and overweight people (Linda Gorman, 6/3).
Denver Post: Obesity And Health Care: Coloradans Still Gaining Weight
The good news: a growing number of Coloradans can correctly identify what obesity looks like and understand it is not someone else's problem; it's their own. Consequently, they want to improve their health, and are increasingly realistic about their lackluster levels of physical activity and the inadequate amount of healthy foods they eat. ... Now the bad news: Coloradans are still gaining weight (Maren Stewart, 6/3).
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Obesity Fight Is An Obligation
While the tide of obesity exceeds the power of any individual physician to defeat, all of us on the medical front lines need to engage in this fierce battle. Sadly, that is not happening. … We have a responsibility never to quit. Talking and persistence are sometimes the most powerful medicines for both doctor and patient (Dr. Damon Tweedy, 6/1).