With the Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed cap on soda sizes, consumers have taken more interest in the implications of excessively large sized soda beverages being offered at fast food restaurants, movie theaters and delis.
However, while the controversial Bloomberg proposal to create a default large size soda set at sixteen ounces didn’t go through, it appears that this spotlight on soda has had an effect across the world.
The United Arab Emirates ban:
According to the Arabian Business publication, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken the radical step of banning supersize soda drinks as a component of their new government health measures.
The UAE government has made this move as a measure to combat the growing trend of obesity and rates of lifestyle disease which are affecting the nation.
With figures from the United Nations documenting that over a third of the population of the UAE should be classified as obese and separate studies showing that twenty percent of adults in the country have been diagnosed with diabetes, many are welcoming these measures.
The European perspective:
According to a BBC interview with President of the European branch of Coca-cola, James Quincy, the size of portions of soda “needs to change” with a growing sense that bigger cup sizes “need to come down”.
This acknowledgment that there are many sizes of soda which are too large, highlights the issue in the United States, as European portion sizes including drinks are considerably smaller than the portions in the US.
Reasons to cap the soda sizes:
The proposal of New York City Mayor Bloomsberg, has its basis in some strong nutritional research. Many people feel that the supersized soda is almost the norm, which encourages the consumption of higher levels of sugary soft drinks. For example, in most movie theaters, a “small” soda is actually thirty two ounces, with a “medium” being forty four ounces.
Many people question the reality of a quart of soda being considered a small amount. With the increasing rates of obesity among the whole population even younger people, healthier choices should make it easier for consumers to make the right decisions about their food and drink consumption.
Many people remain unaware of the calorie implications of soda, but the reality is that a sixty four ounce soda can contain almost 800 calories!
Related: 10 Reasons to Stop Drinking Diet Soda