A major news story recently has been New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, advocating for a city-wide ban on the size of sugary drinks available in the city. The purpose for the ban is to help make the city a healthier place. Sugary drinks are blamed for many medical issues, from the rise in obesity and diabetes rates to recent studies showing that they can even cause death. This city-wide ban, if enacted, would possibly help save future generations from these fates.
For many people, this ban seems like a great idea and way to save people from themselves. The idea being to take away a bad option and people will have to turn to a better, healthier option. For others, this ban seems like a terrible idea and yet another instance of the government getting unnecessarily involved in the choices of its citizens. Sarah Palin made her opinion known during her recent CPAC speech where she chugged from a "Big Gulp" throughout her speech (the availability of Big Gulps would not be effected by the ban, by the way).
This whole issue does bring to light a good point for anyone interested in eating a healthier diet: limiting the availability of unhealthy options in your personal lives will lead to a healthier you. The "secret" to a healthy diet is well-known: eat lean proteins with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables while avoiding sugary and salty snacks. The problem is that is so tempting to avoid the good option (like an apple) and go for the bad option (like a brownie). The answer to this problem is simple: buy the apples and do not buy the brownies. When food shopping, opt only for the healthy choices. Save the richer meals or sweet desserts for special occasions when out with friends. If the only option at home is a healthy one, it will be easy to make the healthy choice. A government-mandated ban on the sweet stuff may not be the answer, but a wiser shopping experience may be just what you need to reach your goals.
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