Chris Woodward (OneNewsNow.com)
A critic of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's push to ban large sodas believes new information about children's soda consumption puts a "dent" in Bloomberg's quest.
Soda consumption by children declined more than fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and sugar-sweetened coffee or teas between 2000 and 2010, according to an analysis in the American Journal of Clinic Nutrition.
Julie Gunlock, senior fellow at the Independent Women's Forum, says the new study comes after a judge tossed out New York City's soda ban earlier this year, declaring the city ordinance "capricious."
"This is just the latest dent," Gunlock says of the soda consumption study. "Pretty soon, he's not going to have much of an argument left."
The American Journal study, published in Science World Report, also found that U.S. children were drinking an average of 68 fewer calories per day from sugary drinks in 2010 as opposed to 2000.
The issue is key, as obesity is the reason why Mayor Bloomberg wants to put a 16-ounce limit on sugary drinks.
In March, Bloomberg told NBC that "we're not banning anything." He added that if you want 32 ounces, take two cups. If you want 54 ounces, carry four. It was his hope that if you get only one cup, you would not go back.
Still, Gunlock says you can't get around the fact that soda consumption, in general, is down in this country.
Meanwhile, the sale of bottled water is "skyrocketing," she says.
"A lot of people want to find the one thing that causes obesity," Gunlock tells OneNewsNow. "Soda is just an easy thing to vilify when the truth is that people often eat a large pizza while they're drinking that soda."