This past May, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a “ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters” and other public venues.  The ban he is proposing was almost universally criticized, as The New Yorker pointed out, “by both John Stewart and John Boehner.”

 Now, overall I’m a fan of Mayor Bloomberg.  I admire him because his loyalties are not to the left or right, but to common sense.  I can’t say that I am as vehemently opposed to this drink ban as many others, though I do understand where their criticism is coming from, even if I do believe it’s a little overblown.

 But if nothing else, Bloomberg has brought attention to the ridiculous portion sizes of the drinks being served in restaurants, cafes, movie theaters, and sporting & event arenas.  The standard size of soft drink portions that these public venues serve has grown considerably over the past decades.  Even my kids are surprised by the size when they order a medium drink at a fast food restaurant.

 Honestly, it is truly ridiculous how large the serving sizes have become, with one of the most extreme being the 7-Eleven Team Gulp at 128 oz.  That’s just crazy.  Would you buy a 2 liter bottle of soda and stick a straw in it?  How about two, because that’s just about what you would be doing with this team gulp.

 Indeed, the gas station/convenient stores seem to be the worst offenders, but McDonald’s, Wendy’s & Burger King all offer a 42 oz drink size. That’s over 5 cups of liquid – go ahead, take a look at that measuring cup you have in the cabinet.  KFC is apparently the worst offender with a 64 oz drink, a full half gallon.

 Even coffee shops are not immune to this, with Starbucks increasing their sizes from the original 12 oz large – now called the Tall, and their default “small” size –  to a 31 oz Trenta.  That’s the equivalent to going into a diner and ordering four cups of coffee.

 Bloomberg does have a point about portion sizes, and he see’s where his city’s money is going – health care for the obese.  And he does have an epidemic on his hands as unhealthy, overweight individuals tax health services and use more sick time.

 Of course the companies serving up these extra large drinks, with names such as HuMUGous, The Beast, and Mega, claim that their customers are perfectly capable of making intelligent decisions when it comes to these choices. You would think so.  But how often have you heard, after making your choice, a friendly cashier ask if you’d like to get the next larger portion for only 50 cents more? Apparently, even if we do make a choice that’s best for us, it’s not good enough for these retailers.

 So while Bloomberg’s concern about the drink sizes in his city, and the nation, are valid I think that perhaps he is going about it the problem the wrong way.  The large sizes should not be banned.  If you want to be a glutton, go for it.  What Bloomberg should instate is a mandatory sizing for reasonable drinks, whereby all venues serve a Small at 8 oz, Medium at 12 oz, and Large at 16 oz.  After that the vendor can create any size they want and call it what they want.  I even have a few suggestions:

• 20 oz – Xtra Large

• 24 oz – Super Size

• 32 oz – Double Portion

• 64 oz – Slosh-buckler

• 128 oz – Elephantine

• 256 oz – Water-Boarder