No more jumbo cups for soda, MK suggests
Israel wants to follow in American footsteps with super-size ban to curb obesity
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
MK Danny Danon (Likud) wants you… to drink less pop.
The lawmaker, citing concern for Israelis’ health, introduced a bill which would outlaw the sale of sugary beverages in cups larger than 450 ml (15.2 oz).
After working with physicians and medical experts, Danon, the chairman of the children’s health lobby in the Knesset, pushed the bill forward in the parliament.
“This law will serve as a tie-breaking weapon in the war against obesity,” he told Yedioth Ahronoth.
One in four Israelis are obese, according to statistics released by the Knesset health lobby, and many others suffer from diseases such as diabetes which are caused by inadequate nutrition.
Statistics from the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development from last year show that 14 percent of Israelis suffer from obesity, and 48% of the population is overweight. A 2009 report by the Knesset Research Center estimated that 10 percent of the nation’s children are obese.
Obesity is usually defined as having a body mass index over 30. Being overweight increases the likelihood of developing numerous chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and sleep apnea.
The proposed bill comes on the heels of a similar bill proposed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is seeking to ban sugary beverages in containers larger than 16 ounces. In New York, obesity related deaths have risen to 5,000 per year.
The Times of Israel Community.