The debate over New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to ban the sale of sugary drinks over 16 ounces to combat the obesity epidemic spilled onto the set of The View on Friday as co-hosts Whoopie Goldberg and Barbara Walters squared off over the proposed restriction.
While Goldberg said the idea was “kind of dumb” because a consumer could just buy two containers of the beverage if they wanted more than 16 ounces, Walters said the mayor should get credit for trying to make people healthier.
“Why should you not be able to get a big ole drink if you want to?” asked Goldberg, a smoker who is still upset that Bloomberg banned public smoking nine years ago. “I don’t like what happens when these bans come on because then you become a criminal, then you’re pushed outside like something’s wrong with you.”
But Walters said people are hypocritical on the issue because they want the government to get involved in reducing the obesity epidemic but then get upset whenever the government tries. Walters pointed out that The View had just done a show about the obesity epidemic two weeks ago.
“[Bloomberg’s] is trying to make people understand what some of the causes are of obesity,” she said. “We want government to get involved. When they do, then we say it’s not their business.”
