Absolute stupidity, New York style

**Helion** · 05-31-2012, 04:59 AM

So, just when you think that your government can't get any more idiotic.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/ny...inks.html?_r=1

**Hessah** · 05-31-2012, 05:47 AM

I've never understood why Americans need a bucket sized drink...

I do think that the American meals that I see* are totally oversized, and it makes people eat more than they need to coz you don't want to waste food...

I don't think they should ban big bottles, but the paper cup stuff should down size.. they should probably resize the meals too...

Your medium is our large... and even so we have an obesity issue too..

*(I predominately see "American food" from Man vs Food so I think I'm slightly misleaded.. but I don't think that's totally relevant xD)

**Helion** · 05-31-2012, 06:13 AM

I could see downsizing if it was the decision of the business due to what the customers wanted, but when the government tells a business what it can and can't sell, that's when it becomes an absolute joke. I am way beyond tired of these holier-than-thou bureaucrats deciding how I can live my life.

**Hessah** · 05-31-2012, 06:23 AM

I thought the govt is trying to stop people from killing themselves with the excessive sugar consumption..

but then at the same time I agree with this:

So yeah maybe they shouldn't bother controlling what a company should sell xD

**Yosei** · 05-31-2012, 06:32 AM

This should be up to the business and it is up to the consumers to stop over consuming. Americans do have rather large portions. Last week when I was at the mall, my niece and I went to get some ice cream. I asked for one scoop, ONE SCOOP, you'd expect one scoop right? No. We got 3 scoops for a one scoop order o.O

I remember when a small drink at fast food joints was small. Now they're... pretty decent sized.

**Lirange** · 05-31-2012, 04:29 PM

Shush, I like our big portions.

I don't think this will actually pass though. At least I hope it doesn't.

**Hessah** · 05-31-2012, 10:59 PM

Yeah this milkshake would be illegal if passed..

It's as big as the baby LOL!

**Ralath** · 06-01-2012, 02:31 AM

I think the fundamental question here is whether or not you believe these large drinks cause a health problem, whether are a significant factor in driving obesity or not.

If you think that it does, then it might be a need for government regulation. You might not like it, but that's a different point from whether government regulation is beneficial or not.

We have always had government regulate our consumption--alcohol, tobacco, medicine, etc. I'm glad, for example, that alcohol is regulated to a certain extent because not only can it be dangerous to the person drinking, but it can be dangerous to me if you choose to do stupid things afterward (ie. drinking and driving).

Ultimately, I don't think it can change anyone's consumption decision if they don't want to change. If someone wants to buy a 32 oz. drink, then they can just buy 2 16 oz. drinks now. It's a little more inconvenient, sure. But nothing is preventing them from still buying the same amount they bought before.

But I do think it is a slippery slope to how far government can go.

**Loveless** · 06-02-2012, 12:09 AM

Nice one Hessah.

It's just like the Darwin Awards yeah? Though it's unfortunate that they usually do get to breed first...

**Triumph** · 06-03-2012, 04:51 AM

@Ralath

The difference between regulation of alcohol consumption and something like soda consumption is that no matter how much soda you drink, other than feeling extremely disgusting/potential death, your judgment is still relatively unclouded. Compare that to alcohol, where (assuming you don't die) high consumption of alcohol impairs your judgment quite noticeably.

Governments can step in because in the latter case, people can get hurt, but no one (other than the fat person) gets hurt from someone being fat. We're ignoring the fact that if an 800 pound person fell on you, you might get injured, but that's exceedingly rare.

It's definitely a health problem, but a) the government has no legal jursdiction over this and b) what you said in the second part of your post will just happen.

There's a sale on 32-oz fountain drinks at QuikTrip right now, funnily enough.