A fear-inducing advertisement, posted around New York City, warning that too much sugary soda will give you diabetes and cause you to lose limbs has come under scrutiny because the amputee in the poster lost his leg due to Photoshop, not diabetes.
The poster, a product of Michael Bloomberg’s health crusade in the city, depicts an obese man with a missing leg and warns that growing portions, specifically of soda, can cause type 2 diabetes and subsequent amputations.
“The portion sizes that are marketed are often much more than humans need,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley in a statement at the ad’s release on Jan 9. “We are warning people about the risks of super-size portions so they can make more informed choices about what they eat. Consuming too many calories can lead to weight gain, which greatly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.”
Ironically the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this week that the rate of amputations from diabetes has dropped by more than half since the mid-1990s.
According to the city, however, the ad is completely Kosher.
“Sometimes we use individuals who are suffering from the particular disease, other times we have to use actors,” New York City Health Department spokesman John Kelly explained to The Daily Caller in a statement. “We might stop using actors in our ads if the food industry stops using actors in theirs.”
While the city is claiming no wrongdoing for using Photoshop, advocates against government intervention into food issues are crying foul.
Baylen Linnekin, founder and executive director of Keep Food Legal, a non-partisan membership organization focused on food freedom, told The Daily Caller that the ad is “disingenuous.”
“It certainly doesn’t appear people drinking more soda has lead to an increase in amputations,” Linnekin said, referring to the CDC’s recent report.
“This is another example of the ‘What can we get away with?’ approach that shapes these taxpayer-funded ad campaigns,” Chris Gindlesperger, the American Beverage Association’s director of communications, said in a statement to The New York Times.
According to the city, drinks sold at fast food chains have increased fourfold in size since 1955 from 7 ounces to 32 ounces. French fries have also doubled in size from 2.4 ounces to 5.4 ounces.