New York City lost its final appeal to limit the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces.
In a 20-page report, the New York State Court of Appeals issued its final decision on the Portion Cap Ruling. Justice Pigott wrote:
We hold that the New York City Board of Health, in adopting the "Sugary Drinks Portion Cap Rule," exceeded the scope of its regulatory authority. By choosing among competing policy goals, without any legislative delegation or guidance, the Board engaged in law-making and thus infringed upon the legislative jurisdiction of the City Council of New York.
The Portion Cap Ruling, commonly known as the soda ban, was to restrict the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces in restaurants, movie theaters, sports arenas and delis.
The decision is disappointing and a defeat to public health advocates urging the government to curb the sale of oversize sugary drinks thought to be a major contributor to America's obesity crisis.
Dr. Mary Bassett, the commissioner of health for the city, issued the following statement:
Today's ruling does not change the fact that sugary drink consumption is a key driver of the obesity epidemic, and we will continue to look for ways to stem the twin epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes by seeking to limit the pernicious effects of aggressive and predatory marketing of sugary drinks and unhealthy foods.
Mayor Bill De Blasio also expressed his disappointment in the court's decision. As written in Capital New York:
"We are extremely disappointed by today's Court decision that prevents the city from implementing a sugary drink portion cap policy," de Blasio said in a press release. "The negative effects of sugary drink over-consumption on New Yorkers' health, particularly among low-income communities, are irrefutable."
As a nutritionist and portion size advocate, I too was disappointed with the court's decision.
Portion sizes have grown exponentially over the years and rates of obesity have skyrocketed. In the 1950s, a soda at McDonald's was 7 ounces; today, the company sells a quart-size soda nearly five times larger than its original size. KFC sells a half-gallon size with nearly 800 calories.
As I told Food Navigator USA:
From a consumer perspective, this was not about banning soda. This was about how much is reasonable for one person. There are a lot of factors that contribute to obesity. One very major one is the fact that what used to be a normal size is now called "mini."
Indeed, we need to change our food environment if we want to reduce obesity rates and encourage consumer to select healthier food choices. That means selling smaller size portions of foods and drinks that provide no nutritional value. In my opinion, curbing the sizes of sugary drinks was certainly a good place to start.
I applaud the health department's efforts and hope that we can all work together to promote a healthier food environment for our children to grow up in.