Comments on: Soda ban is a slippery slope that discourages personal responsibility http://medcitynews.com/2012/06/soda-ban-is-a-slippery-slope-that-discourages-personal-responsibility/ Unique business news on biotech companies, new innovative medical devices Fri, 24 May 2013 16:03:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Michael Kirsch, MD http://medcitynews.com/2012/06/soda-ban-is-a-slippery-slope-that-discourages-personal-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-427129 Michael Kirsch, MD Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:47:00 +0000 http://medcitynews.com/?p=142176#comment-427129 Appreciate comment. I think there should be a similar process of addressing issues and controversies from either side of the political spectrum. Must weigh the state’s interests against the individual’s. If a person makes an unwise financial investment and loses $, should the state bail him out? If a person who can afford medical insurance chooses not to purchase it, is he entitled to medical care that he cannot afford? I’m not answering the latter question, only posing the query.

]]> By: Ross http://medcitynews.com/2012/06/soda-ban-is-a-slippery-slope-that-discourages-personal-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-427087 Ross Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:23:38 +0000 http://medcitynews.com/?p=142176#comment-427087 To follow your argument’s logic in the opposite direction, then, recognizing we all should have the right and freedom to make the choices which influence our health and well being, I presume you fully support:
– legalizing all drugs: cocaine, heroin, meth, crack
– suicide
– no mandatory health insurance, and giving the hospitals legal “coverage” to not treat anyone who is uninsured, after all it was their choice to risk it, too bad if they’re in a car accident
– removing Medicare and Social Security. Hey, if you want to retire, if you want healthcare, save for it yourself don’t ask Uncle Sam to do it for you

Billions of dollars are spent by industry getting us to buy their food and products, and companies have the right to spend like that. But because many of these food items, in particular, appeal to our basest animal needs (salt and fat) we probably do need some help or tools to help resist the marketing onslaught.
In this particular case, your right to overindulge in soda is not limited, you just haveto more deliberately choose to do it. Instead of off-handedly ordering a medium drink that is a quart of liquid, you will have to order 3 large drinks, each of which is of modest size.

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