New York City Health Commissioner and Chief Busybody Thomas Farley’s announced today that he personally will ban soda pop sold in quantities the good doctor finds obscene.America unites in contempt for loathsome nanny-state mayor
The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited
The masses are unable to come to any decision without first referring to a government rule or to somebody holding a PhD.
Farley says: "Obesity "leads" to the deaths of nearly 6,000 New Yorkers a year"
Farley, who knows his Orwell, knew not to say, “Obesity causes 6,000 deaths” but merely that “Obesity is weakly correlated with 6,000 deaths.” But Farley forgot that something always causes death (or perhaps like many thin people he cannot imagine dying): every dead person died of something. He also forgot that there are many more fat people than thin people.
Oh, and Farley also forgot that there is some evidence that fat people, though perhaps not those who suffer from gluttony or who are grossly obese, tend to live longer lives than thin people.
So, fatties should lay aside their fudgesicles and soda pop and instead take up the New York Times or jogging and become a thin person—who will die of a different malady.
In other words, fat people can sacrifice that which makes them happy for that which makes them unhappy (i.e. the NYT). In doing this, they will still die, perhaps even sooner, but they will die as thin people, and thinness is its own reward.
http://wmbriggs.com/blog/?p=6147