Appeals Court Strikes Down NYC Big-Soda Ban

New York City’s effort to crack down on giant, sugar-laden sodas is a no-go, but is it right for Alexandria and its neighbors?

An appeals court ruled Tuesday that the city’s Board of Health exceeded its legal authority and acted unconstitutionally when it tried to limit the size of soft drinks served in city restaurants.

The health board tried to stop sales of non-diet soda and other sugary beverages in containers larger than 16 ounces as part of a citywide effort to crack down on the growing rate of adult obesity.

“Today’s decision is a temporary setback, and we plan to appeal this decision as we continue the fight against the obesity epidemic,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.

Do you think New York officials had the right idea in trying to control the size of sugary sodas?

In 2011, Virginia’s 29.2 percent obesity rate was higher than the national average of 27.8 percent. Northern Virginia shows the lowest rate of obesity in the commonwealth – at 23.4 percent. Washington, DC had an adult obesity rate of 21.7 percent in 2011. That’s the lowest rate in the nation, according to HealthyAmericans.org.

A 2012 study by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation cautions that if nothing is done to alter average U.S. diet and exercise habits, the adult obesity rate in the United States will rocket to nearly 50 percent by 2030.

An adult is considered obese if his or her body mass index, which measures fatty to lean tissue, is 30 or above.