16 oz. Soda Ban Approved By NYC Board of Health

If you're seriously talking about going on a hunger strike because you can't drink water instead of soda, and get a salad instead of a bag of chips, then maybe we need to start discussing how these regulations needed to be implemented sooner than now.

I have heard reports of how junk food is addictive, and I think they might be right.

edited 14th Sep '12 7:58:09 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

No, I'm considering a hunger strike because I hate myself, but that's besides the point right now.

The point is that healthy options need to be made cheaper, not unhealthy options made more expensive. I mean, I'm eating ramen every day for reasons other than I think it's the best thing ever.

edited 14th Sep '12 7:59:23 AM by ohsointocats

I'm not talking about ramen, I'm talking about fast food. Eating nothing but ramen is unhealthy because it's nothing but carbs. If you pair it with some protein and some veggies, and only eat one pack at a time, it's not terrible. It's certainly not health food, but it won't kill you.

Fast food is deep fried junk. One meal (burger, fries/chips, soda) is more than a thousand calories, and I'm all for taxing the shit out of it.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:03:35 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

If you can manage to switch around the prices for juice and for soda, then I'm all for it. If you can only promise to make things that are currently cheap more expensive, then I'm not.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but ramen is also fried.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:05:42 AM by ohsointocats

Water is cheaper than soda right now. It's still perfectly drinkable.

Also, yes, ramen is fried. But it's not deep fried fatty meat slathered in cheese and mayonnaise and sometimes bacon. It's also substantially less in calories than a Big Mac.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:07:08 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

So I should drink water and eat lettuce which is also water, but less efficient.

You could drink water instead of soda, yes. I do it. Likewise, I get a salad instead of a burger when I go out to eat. It costs about the same, but it's more filling and less terrible for you.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:08:13 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

Most of the places around here don't even sell burgers.

The point is, healthy options are already available at roughly the same price as fast food. I can get an apple for less than a dollar, or a single-serve bag of chips for a little more. I can get a glass of water from the tap (or get a water filter for my tap, if the water is nasty) and it costs less than buying a soda. I can get a salad for the same price as a Big Mac.

So why not tax the unhealthy stuff? Especially since this is something that impacts society as a whole?

edited 14th Sep '12 8:14:38 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

It kind of baffles me that you didn't think ramen noodles were fried. You don't get 14 grams of fat per packet by being a wholesome wheat noodle.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:15:41 AM by ohsointocats

the thing is. a lot of the cheaper options in not fast food also require at least some prep work to taste just as good, and therefore people pick fast food because frankly, if my options are running to the store to pick up groceries and ingredients, or walking two blocks across campus to taco bell, guess which one is getting my money if I'm in a hurry?

edited 14th Sep '12 8:16:03 AM by Midgetsnowman

Check my edit here.

So? Maybe we need to stop letting fast food places set up shop on campus then.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:16:53 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

A salad from a fast food restaurant typically has about 100-150 calories (200-300 if you get it with fried meat/cheese on top). If you can only afford to spend a few bucks on lunch, you're going to want to spend it on something a bit more sustaining.

It's not about what you choose to eat, it's about stopping outlets from knowingly encouraging people to consume food and drink irresponsibly.

@Grizzly: Except that 300- 500 calories should be the average meal size (salad plus a piece of fruit). 1100+ calories for a meal is ridiculous.

@Bat Pencil: Exactly. It's supposed to make people stop and think about whether or not they should get a soda.

It'll also help keep kids from falling into the habit of not drinking anything that hasn't been artificially flavored and pumped full of sugar.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:21:42 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

Unless that meal is the only one you're going to eat all day...

Make 'em cheaper and more quickly available, and sure. The problem is a lot of food can't fill you up quick enough, especially when you only have a half hour for a lunch break. You need fast(as in literally) food for that. You don't have time to cook at all.

Both are kind of key. I'm strapped for cash, and can't stand lettuce or water. They're both bleh to me in taste. So I'm not going to eat them. I'm going to eat something I like, and drink something I like. Regardless of health. There's a lot of people who'll do the exact same thing. People are not going to magically choose healthier options if they're still too slow or they hate the taste, or especially if they're way more expensive.

That's just how it is. Many people don't have the extra cash or make enough. I certainly don't. I go with what I can generally afford. It doesn't mean I don't like Milk, but I can't get that for free at work, so it's not a feasible option. Soda is what's free and what I can actually stand the taste of enough to drink. That's... just life.

I'll be honest, this law doesn't really bother me.

@Cats: If you're relying on one Big Mac value meal to get you through the day, then your money would be better spent at a grocery store, where you can get multiple healthier meals for the same cost. And don't tell me it can't be done, because my family has been doing it for forever.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:30:22 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

I've never had a big mac value meal before, but when I do eat at fast food restaurants, I don't want to eat again all day.

Also you are forgetting the fact that I have no access to a kitchen.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:29:07 AM by ohsointocats

DG: It cant much be done for me. because I live in a dorm with minimal access to fridges or cooking areas.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:29:45 AM by Midgetsnowman

, You guys are forgetting that I went to college too. It's surprising what you can make with a microwave and a coffee pot for hot water.

A young male of my weight and height who was not totally inactive (like say a desk job and plays frisbee with friends on the weekend) would lose a couple pounds a week if they averaged 400 calories per meal. I would literally be dead in a year.

I normally eat just one meal a day, but that's because it's overwhelmingly more cost effective to use my meal card once a day than it is to use it two or three times a day.

That's probably not true. American portion sizes have been artificially inflated so much over the years that people believe they need to consume more calories than they do.

That's why most of my college-age friends smoke, but you don't see me using that as an excuse to eliminate the taxes on cigarettes.

edited 14th Sep '12 8:33:30 AM by DrunkGirlfriend