Should the Sale of Large Sugary Drinks Be Prohibited? >
Restaurant Industry Isn't to Blame for America's Obesity Epidemic
Restaurants want to help Americans lead healthy lives, but bans are not the way to do it
June 1, 2012
About Dawn Sweeney:
Dawn Sweeney is president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association representing nearly 1 million food service outlets and approximately 13 million employees.
The National Restaurant Association and the restaurant industry are committed to taking a proactive role in helping the country deal with issues related to food and healthy living. Our customers desire a range of menu options every hour of the day. We also know that we have an important role to play in helping Americans lead healthier lives. We are working to create an environment that encourages voluntary, flexible options for restaurateurs and their customers to address today's healthy living challenges.
The restaurant industry is employing a wide range of strategies to play a positive role in reversing the trend of obesity, including adding more healthful items to menus and providing nutrition information.
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Mayor Bloomberg's proposal is another example of consistent targeting of restaurants for excessive regulation and placing bureaucratic mandates on the industry that even some City Council members have called unfair and inconsistent.
Obesity is a complex issue that needs a comprehensive approach. There is no silver bullet, and hyper-regulation such as the mayor's plan misplaces responsibility, infringes upon consumers' freedom of choice, and creates a false sense of accomplishment in the legitimate fight against obesity.
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- Other Arguments
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#212227
No — Of the many problems in New York City, sugary drink consumption is not the most pressing, nor is it any of the government's business
ART CARDEN, Assistant Professor of Economics at Rhodes College.
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#310824
No — Obesity is too complex a problem to be solved by a government mandate reducing soda consumption
PATRICK BASHAM, Co-author 'Diet Nation: Exposing the Obesity Crusade'
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#410221
No — Better ideas in the future will be ignored if New York sets a failing precedent for public health initiatives
BRIAN WANSINK, DAVID JUST, Professors at Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management Department at Cornell University
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#548133
Yes — The New York City mayor's campaign against sugary sodas could quickly sweep the nation
MICHAEL JACOBSON, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest
