In an interview for BBC, ACSH s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan challenges the validity of a recent request by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to bar residents who receive food stamps from using them to purchase soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. New York Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley believes the bill, if enacted, will educate people about the adverse health effects of sugar-sweetened beverages. Ironically, even Dr. Farley's own New York City Health Department officials warned him that the link between sugary drinks and fat is absurd in emails leaked to The New York Times in October. Dr. Whelan also points out that a glass of orange juice may contain as many calories as a can of soda, demonstrating that a simple solution cannot solve a complex problem such as obesity.
Watch the video here.
