Mayor Bloomberg now offering dieting advice

George Guerin | Fitness Blogger By George Guerin | Fitness Blogger
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on March 06, 2013 at 8:00 AM, updated March 06, 2013 at 8:02 AM
michael bloomberg soda ban.jpg  

Whether or not New York City Mayor Bloomberg is an authority on health is debatable, but his heart is in the right place. He has recently been touring the city speaking out on American's lack of exercise and poor eating habits. His advice does not beat around the bush, instead he emphasizes the heart of the matter, that American's need to stop overeating.

On a recent program WOR radio program, Mayor Bloomberg breaks down his take on how to fight obesity. He says "If you eat less than 2,000 calories you'll lose weight... If you eat more than 2,000 calories, you'll gain weight. Now some things metabolize more quickly than others. And everyone says I should go on this kind of diet or that kind of diet. Don't eat and you'll lose weight." The Mayor's message is not rocket science, and it certainly isn't anything that the public hasn't heard before. But his forceful message is valid and he backs it up with making serious changes in NYC. His health initiatives such as the ban against large soda and the extensive use of sodium and trans-fat in restaurants could make a large impact on the obesity rates in New York. But that hasn't stopped people from colorfully nicknaming the mayor "Nanny Bloomberg".

One poll conducted last year out of Quinnipiac University revealed that 45 percent of New Yorkers supported the government's involvement in unhealthy eating bans, while 48 percent did not. Some of the loudest protests come from owners of small businesses and restaurants that sell some of the products that Bloomberg's new health initiatives are limiting. He addresses the public's concerns by saying "It doesn't prevent you from doing it, and it doesn't mean a store has to charge you more. I mean, it's ridiculous to say it's the cost of an extra cup. If the cost of an extra cup is really a detriment if they're going to be in business, they're not going to be in business." Mayor Bloomberg has made it clear that he is not backing down.