Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke out Tuesday in defense of some controversial new ads that attack obesity.
According to some estimates, portions for items like soda and french fries were a quarter of the size they are today around 50 years ago. With obesity an epidemic across the country and citywide, the Department of Health is launching new ads that some are calling controversial due to their graphic nature.
Bloomberg said that’s the whole point.
“What do you want to do? Do you want to have people lose their legs or do you want to show them what happens so that they won’t lose their legs? Take your poison. Which do you want?” said Bloomberg. “You can’t have it both ways. Do you want to help people or do you want to have a story and say ‘oh, we don’t want to annoy you, we don’t want to worry you.’ Let me tell you, if you don’t get an education, you’re not going—and you see that in the economy today, we’ve talked at length about lack of education limiting your options.”
The ads will be out for three months.
Perhaps ironically, the comments came as Bloomberg was visiting Seamless.com, a takeout website that opened up new headquarters in Midtown today.
Bloomberg placed his own order for chicken soup and popcorn.