When a person commits a sin and repeats it, it becomes permitted for him. Does it really become permitted to him? Rather for him it becomes permitted.
—Babylonian Talmud
Michael Bloomberg recently announced that he wanted to ban soft drinks that were larger than thirty-two ounces. Public reaction was extremely negative, and he was dubbed “Nanny Bloomberg” by several news organizations. People in my synagogue argued that it’s the parents’ job to decide how much sugar their children consume. If weight is such a problem, they added, why doesn’t Bloomberg call for more gym classes? Even the United Nations Human Right Committee took time off from the civil war in Syria for an emergency session to discuss whether this was a violation of human rights and warranted crisis intervention. I guy I met on the street told me that the problem isn’t sugar, drugs are the problem. So why has Michael Bloomburg declared war on Coca Cola?
Apparently the answer is as follows: New Yorkers have an average life expectancy that is three years higher than the rest of America (the national life expectancy rate is 79; in NYC it’s 82). Part of the reason why New Yorkers are living longer is because of Bloomberg’s crackdown on trans fats and cigarettes. There is no good reason for restaurants to use trans fats when they could use alternate products that taste just as good but are much healthier. Similarly, when the city banned smoking in bars, many smokers either quit for good or began smoking significantly less. Obesity, which is caused in large part by excess sugar, will soon be the number one killer in America (even more than tobacco). There are two ways to make sure that obesity-related complications do not take that number one spot: either encourage people to make healthier choices, or encourage people to keep smoking so that tabacco stays on top.
The Talmud explains that bad habits form fast. In other words, it’s easier to get into the habit of eating a tub of ice cream every night then it is to get into the habit of going to the gym. It’s a reality of the human condition that bad habits are easy to form but difficult to break, and sugar is addictive. Of course, the obesity epidemic is not just a health issue, but a quality of life issue. Many overweight people, myself included, feel that their lives would improve if they where in better shape. Michael Bloomberg is addressing this. There is no way his war on soft drinks bill will ever become law, but that’s not the point. The point is that he’s starting a conversation about a serious problem.
One of the Bloomberg-approved campaign signs
