Weight Watchers And Jenny Craig Officials Support Bloomberg’s Soda Ban
With soda ban opponents fervently pandering to our, uh, general New York-iness to turn the tides of public opinion against Bloomberg’s proposed 16-ounce limit, the Mayor is hitting back with an appeal to our undeniable love of never, ever getting fat.
As such (and just in time for Fashion Week) Bloomberg has joined forces with the diet industry, earning public support from companies including Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, The South Beach Diet, The Best Life, and Picture Perfect Weight Loss.
At a press conference earlier this week Bloomberg was joined by city health officials as well as Weight Watchers President Dave Burwick, and said:
“Our proposal for reasonable portion sizes won’t prevent anyone from buying or drinking as much soda as they want, but it will help people keep from inadvertently taking in junk calories simply because the small drink they ordered was actually very large.”
Burwick added, “Today, we live in a world where despite our best intentions, it’s oftentimes very difficult on your own to make the healthy choice. We all need to take more personal responsibility for our own weight and eating habits, but it helps to remember what a healthy portion size is in a world where super-size portions have become the norm.”
A spokesperson for New Yorkers for Beverage Choices immediately hit back, “These diet companies often emphasize choice and options in their own plans, allowing their customers a wide variety of food and drink and we want the exact same thing.”
Though polls show the majority of New Yorkers opposing the ban, with the help of the marketing geniuses that make up the diet industry, Bloomberg just might have a fighting chance at swaying the public in his favor before the measure goes to a Board of Health vote next week.
After all, you don’t want to get fat, do you?
Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith.
