New York City's Mayor Hopes To Ban Super-Sized Sodas - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

Do you like your super-sized Coke or "Big Gulp" Mountain Dew?

Better bring one with you the next time you head to New York City. The mayor there is now proposing a new ban on those bigger and bigger drinks!

Mayor Michael Bloomberg hopes the ban will help combat obesity.

The city says it could spark a national movement against massive sodas.

This first ban of its kind in the nation would target any sugary drink larger than 16 ounces. So restaurants, movie theaters and sports venues would have to restrict the sale of any oversized fizzy drinks.

Nutritionist Kevin O'Melia commends Bloomberg for this effort. He says it's a huge step towards creating awareness of how much you're consuming.

The ban would not include diet drinks, dairy based products or alcohol, nor would it apply to grocery or convenience stores. And while there are people who agree with Bloomberg's view on super-sized sugary drinks, soda drinkers say they should be able to make their own decisions.

A regular bottle of soda is 20 ounces. It contains 72 grams of sugar. So not only is it about eight packs of sugar, but the amount of sugar inside is equal to 20 Chips Ahoy cookies.

Many of us wouldn't sit and consume 20 cookies in one sitting. But it's very easy to down a bottle of soda with the same amount.

And a "Big Gulp" soda from 7-Eleven is 64 ounces, which is the equivalent of about 25 packs of sugar. So you can only imagine how many cookies have the same amount of sugar.

Philadelphia attempted to pass a beverage tax on sugary drinks a few years ago. It was ultimately voted down. But many people say they wouldn't be surprised if more and more cities tried jumping on the soda ban bandwagon, especially if it goes according to plan in New York City.