Theres a whiff of liberal fascism coming out of the Land of the Free. The Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has announced plans to outlaw the sale of large fizzy or sugary drinks in an effort to cut down to size his citys obesity problem. Itll affect about 20,000 establishments; even the humble street cart will have to comply. No longer will New Yorkers be able to cry Super-size that! as a litre of pure diabetes is poured into a paper cup. It might be political correctness gone mad, but London is sure to follow suit. <\/p>\n
To be fair to Bloomberg, New York does have an obesity problem. A trip on the subway at rush hour can feel like a ride in a Mini with a sumo team. Statistics show that 58 per cent of New York Citys adults and nearly 40 per cent of its public school students are overweight. That compares unfavourably with a national obesity rate of roughly one third. <\/p>\n
But New York, like the rest of America, is a land of extremes. On the streets youll see plenty of overweight folks hogging down hot dogs. But youll also spot a number of scarily thin people sipping tomato juice. The difference between these groups is measured in race and wealth. <\/p>\n
According to 2010 national statistics from the US Department of Health and Human Services, African-Americans are 1.4 times as likely to be obese as non-Hispanic whites and, shockingly, four out of five African-American women are overweight. Higher-income women are less likely to be obese than low-income women, and theres a correlation between better education and lower weight. <\/p>\n
Therefore, the problem Bloomberg is tackling is often one suffered by poor people. By cutting into the potential profits of fast-food eateries, hell not only be denying poor folks their sugary fix, but he could also cause outlets to close losing them jobs, too. <\/p>\n
Bloombergs goal has always been to turn New York into a city better suited to the lifestyles of liberal rich whites. He has also banned the use of trans fats in restaurant foods and outlawed smoking in public. This obsession with other peoples health is un-American. The USA is a country founded on the principle of individual liberty, and inherent within liberty is the freedom to make mistakes. Yet Bloombergs effort to create a more aesthetically pleasing populace poses a challenge to the American libertarianism. One paradoxical outcome is that in a few months time, it might be legal to buy a gun in Manhattan but illegal to buy a large cup of Coke. <\/p>\n
Bloombergs campaign feels more European than American, and thats why it probably wont be long before we see it introduced to London. The city also has a problem with obesity 36 per cent of 11-year-olds are overweight and Boris Johnson is also committed to creating a leaner, fitter London. British campaigners have leapt on the Bloomberg plan and pressure on Johnson will grow to follow suit just as Britain copied the US public smoking ban in 2007. <\/p>\n
The problem is that no matter how conservative a politician might be, give them a little bit of power and the temptation is too great not to use it. Whereas time could be spent promoting healthy, voluntary choices, its usually poured into oppressive new laws instead. Given that government expands as fast and as unpleasantly as the average New Yorkers waistline, it wont be long before the Brits lose their right to super-size, too. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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The full weight of the law comes down on super-size New Yorkers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Theres a whiff of liberal fascism coming out of the Land of the Free. The Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has announced plans to outlaw the sale of large fizzy or sugary drinks in an effort to cut down to size his citys obesity problem. Itll affect about 20,000 establishments; even the humble street cart will have to comply. Continue reading