Video Related To: New York soda ban goes before health board: Proposal gets unanimous vote

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed a far-reaching municipal ban on sales of large-size sugary beverages by restaurants, mobile food carts, movie theaters and delis. The proposal is aimed at fighting an epidemic of obesity, citing public health statistics showing that 58 percent of New York City adults and nearly 40 percent of city public school students are obese or overweight. It would impact drinks sold in containers larger than 16 ounces, but would not impact the sale of diet soda or dairy-based drinks. Targeting cup sizes is the latest move in an ongoing effort to reduce Americans' calories from sugary drinks. That is part of a broader push to fight obesity, which is a huge and growing burden to the nation's healthcare system. Even some sweetened coffee drinks served at Starbucks, if sold in the venti size, would be subject to the ban. Deputy mayor Howard Wolfson predicted that if the proposal was passed, companies would adjust and just scale down the size of their beverages. The response to Bloomberg's public health initiatives have been mixed. Earlier this month, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 45 percent of New York voters thought the government should discourage unhealthy eating and drinking habits, while 48 percent said the government shouldn't get involved. Still, many of those initiatives, including the smoking ban, have become models for other cities. On Thursday (May 31) both Coca-Cola and McDonald's fired back at the New York mayor's <b>...</b>