Food Activists Seek Broad Agenda Of Social Control

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Investors Business Daily:

Unless a judge rules otherwise, an order of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will ban serving soft drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces in city restaurants and eateries, effective March 12.

Regardless what the judge decides, the drive by regulators and activists to control what food products customers may enjoy will not abate.

This is a far cry from earlier initiatives on portion control, which emphasized voluntary actions and education. In 2006, New York and restaurants partnered to increase the number of healthy options in city eateries. But now partnership is over, and top-down regulation is in.

Companies respond to consumers with choices, and forming partnerships with health advocates to develop products for the health-conscious consumer appeals.

For example, Coca-Cola recently acknowledged in ads that overconsumption of calories from their drinks can contribute to weight gain.

The spot highlighted industrywide efforts to put calorie labels on the front of soft drink packages and to expand the number of low- and zero-calorie products available to customers concerned about weight gain and obesity.