Last week we were aghast at how the New York Times and Big Soda combined to heap outrage on the Health Department's photoshopped ad campaign against diabetes. You'd have thought Mayor Bloomberg personally fed this actor into the woodchipper! Now, the Times has spoken with the man who posed for the picture, Cleo Berry, who was apparently "stunned" when he saw his image in the ad for the first time on Friday. "I was beyond shocked. I cried at my computer screen for, like, a minute." More than the crocodile tears he shed for this sandwich ad in which he gets viciously beaten? That is what happened, isn't it? more ›

It has been revealed that the New York City Health Department photoshopped an overweight man's leg out of an ad tying larger portion sizes to Type 2 diabetes and limb amputations. We received a noble press release from the good folks at the American Beverage Association blasting the lying liars at the DOH: “This is another example of the ‘What can we get away with?’ approach that shapes these taxpayer-funded ad campaign." Or is it a reasonable tactic against the larded Leviathans and their relentless lobbyists? more ›

Coca Cola announced today that the company is killing its much-hyped, poorly-received white cans. So much for saving the polar bears! more ›

Put. Down. The. Pepsi. That's what good old Science is telling teenagers to do, after a new study announced a "clear link" between drinking soda and acting violently. more ›

Citizens of New York City, we have an urgent message the Nanny State: "Stop drinking soda, you disgusting fat-body!" This week the Health Department is launching yet another ad campaign to warn New Yorkers about how bad soda is for you. This latest installment of the Department’s “Pouring on the Pounds” campaign visually illustrates how much exercising you have to do to burn off the calories from one 20 ounce soda: more ›

Mayor Bloomberg has been on an Ahab-like quest to ban people from buying sodas and sugary drinks with food stamps; but yesterday, his white whale slipped away once again when federal officials rejected the proposed ban. And Bloomberg was pissed: "We think our innovative pilot would have done more to protect people from the crippling effects of preventable illnesses like diabetes and obesity than anything else being proposed anywhere else in the country -- and at little or no cost to taxpayers," Bloomberg said. more ›

Even though Bloomberg's proposed ban on buying sodas and sugary drinks with food stamps may not even happen because the USDA lacks the authority to approve such a change, soft drink companies are fighting the proposal just in case. Food and beverage lobbyists have accused Bloomberg of everything from ignorance to discrimination for the plan. Kevin W. Keane, senior vice president of the American Beverage Association, told the Times, “Once you start going into grocery carts, deciding what people can or cannot buy, where do you stop?” Clearly, he's not familiar with how Michael "Deal With It" Bloomberg operates. more ›

After a few years of teasing the public with brief promotional runs of Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback—in which the sodas feature sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup and come in cans with retro designs like the one Cindy Crawford used to drink from on TV—New York's own PepsiCo is committing to them full time. The news isn't that shocking though considering the last round of promotional runs earned the company an extra $220 million in sales. more ›

The raging debate about whether Mayor Bloomberg should or shouldn't try to stop poor people from using food stamps on soda seems to be missing an important point: It's quite likely this is never going to happen, because it seems the United States Department of Agriculture lacks the authority to approve such a change. Federal law is very specific about what can and cannot be bought with food stamps, and any exemption from these guidelines would require Congressional approval. And since most politicians are in the pocket of the beverage industry, it looks like poor Joe Sixpack (of Jolt) will be buying soda with food stamps for the foreseeable future. more ›

He won't rest until we're all eating nothing but fiber pellets distributed by government contractors at smoke-free pedestrian plaza work camps. As if poor people on food stamps don't have enough troubles, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson are teaming up to deprive them of the sweet solace of soda pop! By making food stamps invalid for purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages in NYC, the city also hopes to deprive poor people of diabetes. more ›

Ha, look at this glutton ripping open sugar packets at a lunch counter and pouring them down his greedy throat! We can identify with the disgusted expressions on the faces of his neighbors as they look askance at his depraved behavior. Show some class, sugar packet dude! It's like we're sitting outside at Gemma savoring a fine Montepulciano while some Bowery bum chugs Carlo Rossi from a jug on the sidewalk. OR IS IT? We don't want to spoil anything, but if you watch to the end of the minute-long video, you might have your mind blown by a little message from the Health Department. more ›

The Health Department just won't stop nagging you about your soda consumption. In the spirit of last year’s hit "Pouring On the Pounds" campaign—which depicted a bottle of soda pouring out disgusting globs of fat—the new subway ad campaign forces straphangers to behold what goes into a large-size serving of sweetened soda: the equivalent of 26 packets of sugar. Is that considered excessive? more ›

All it took to get the media into scaremongering overdrive about "vodka eyeballing" was one young British woman who hurt her eye pouring booze into it for kicks, plus some European YouTube videos. So now that a New Jersey high school student drank soda with a classmate's feces mixed in, we can't wait to learn more about this scary new trend! (We're sure there are YouTube videos, but we're scared to look.) We hear the teens call it "Dr. Pooper," but it's also known as "Dew the Poo." Do YOU know how many cans of human feces YOUR CHILD will pound this weekend? more ›

In an attempt to keep sugary beverages from exploding in the bellies of innocent New York children, the Alliance for a Healthier New York is staging a soda "buyback" today in East New York. Modeled after the successful gun buyback programs, the group is giving gift certificates good for fresh fruits and vegetables at city farmers' markets to.families who turn in their cans of soda and other sugary drinks. One can of soda will fetch a $2 voucher, while a 2-liter bottle will fetch a $6 one. more ›

Gov. David Paterson unveiled a $134 billion proposed budget today that would impose new taxes on sugary drinks and cigarettes and cut school aid and health care spending by $1.1 billion and $1 billion, respectively. "The mistakes of the past — squandering surpluses, papering over deficits, relying on irresponsible fiscal gimmicks to finance unsustainable spending increases — have led us to a financial breaking point," Paterson said. "There are no more easy answers." more ›

Well, the title of this video pretty much says it all. Making good on their promise to make a commercial for their vivid ad campaign discouraging sugary drink consumption, the NYC Health Department has just released this little opus. If you like Garbage Pail Kids, you'll love this: more ›

Hey, people who have complained that 12-ounce cans of Coke are too ungainly—today's your day! The soft drink bottler has announced it's bringing mini 7.5-ounce Coke cans to NYC and Washington DC this December. Coca-Cola's North America Sparkling Beverages President Hendrik Steckhan said, "The Coca-Cola mini can is a great option for smaller thirst occasions and for calorie-conscious consumer. Our new sleek mini can supports the idea of moderation and offers people yet another way to enjoy their favorite Coca-Cola beverage." more ›

While the NYC Health Department is busy running around warning citizens about the dangers of sugary sodas, the bureaucracy still isn't doing anything about diet sodas with excessive amounts of amphibians. Excessive, of course, meaning one—the FDA has confirmed that either a frog or a toad was in a Florida man's Diet Pepsi. No, this did not happen in NYC...yet. According to CNN, Fred DeNegri was grilling in his backyard tiki bar in July when he cracked open a cool, refreshing diet beverage; took a big sip; and started gagging. The FDA later traced the can to a local Pepsi bottling plant in Orlando, but after an investigation "did not find any adverse conditions or association to this problem." And Pepsi insists, "The speed of our production lines and the rigor of our quality control systems make it virtually impossible for this type of thing to happen." So no one knows how the poor thing got in there, but DeNegri's wife says, "It was disgusting. And now, what started out as a normal afternoon in our tiki bar has blown up into this crazy thing." Hopefully for them, a crazy lucrative thing—they are, naturally, consulting with lawyers. (Below, the full-size photo.) more ›

The American Beverage Association is more than a little defensive about the city's new public awareness campaign which depicts human fat pouring out of cola, energy drink, and sweetened ice tea bottles. The ads, which are intended to educate the public about the high caloric content of sugary beverages, debuted yesterday, and Kevin Keane, a senior vice president at the Association, was quick to run to the Post: "It's absurd and over the top and unfortunately is going to undermine efforts to educate about a serious and complex issue like obesity." Also, why does government keep picking on soda? Earlier this year Governor Paterson proposed a tax on soda, which was successfully shot down by the beverage industry. Keane wonders, "Why aren't they going after cake? Why single out soft drinks?" But Cathy Nonas at the Health Department says, "It's just horrifying to see how many preschoolers are drinking these sugar-sweetened beverages" and even abusing sports drinks: "In terms of physical activity... water is the most important thing before, during and after an event." Well, the American Beverage Association has got kids covered on that because according to their website "all BEVERAGES provide hydration." Your move, cake! more ›

Remember that $25,000 sundae that Serendipity 3 was selling back before the stock market parked itself in the garage with the engine running? Needless to say, they haven't been selling too many of those lately, and even their down-market $1,000 sundae hasn't had any takers since last November. more ›

Passover may be more than two weeks away, but for those of you who love your soda with pure sugar (or just love your sugar), you can get Passover Coke now. The special Coke, which isn't made with the forboden corn syrup, is only available in two liter bottles for a limited time and is distinguished by its yellow caps with the symbols "OU-P" on them. Calls to stores around the city found that some aren't carrying the product yet (deliveries could be there as soon as Friday/Saturday), but some stores already have the product is on their shelves — the Upper West Side Harlem Fairways. A call to Coca Cola revealed that Passover Coke is already available in many markets, like Albany. Other establishments that Coke's corporate communications department recommended in our area include Key Foods, Associated and A&P. If your local grocery store isn't carrying it, you can even ask them to order it. Of course, the rest of the year, you can buy Passover Coke as "Mexican Coke." more ›

Governor David Paterson met with students at Morrisville State College yesterday to talk about the budget, and was forced to admit that his proposed "obesity tax" was all but defeated, Newsday reports. In response to a student's question about the "foolish tax on soda," Paterson said he doesn't "think the legislature will pass it...But often publicity is as important as legislation." The plan would have put an 18% tax on soda and other sugary drinks containing less than 70% fruit juice, raising an estimated $1 billion for the state while discouraging the consumption of such crap. But the beverage industry was prepared to fight it in court, and yesterday the governor spun the failed proposal as simply part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness. He also warned students who think diet cola is the health-conscious choice: "Sure there's sugar in regular soda, but the chemicals in diet soda will kill you, too." Apparently, the students were just too mature to ask him to elaborate on the dangers of Coke. more ›

State Health Commissioner Richard Daines has taken to YouTube to educate New Yorkers on the virtues of Governor Paterson's proposed "obesity tax," which would add an 18-percent tax on non-diet soda and other sugary drinks containing less than 70 percent real fruit juice. Sure, the video's no Ottomoman-Humping Gangbang, but we are in a recession, so we'll excuse the lackluster production values. more ›

The beloved Manhattan Special was featured in the NY Times yesterday as siblings Aurora and Louis Passaro are experiencing a new resurgence in popularity in the coffee soda specialty. The drink, which has been made in a Brooklyn factory since 1895, is now available online, but it's not always easy to find locally. It has been spotted in Inwood, at Manganaro's Hero Boy, Bruno's King of Ravioli, the Associated Supermarket on 14th Street and First Avenue, Faicco's Pork Store, and a few newsstands here and there. Let us know if you've seen it near you! more ›

We've seen expensive pancakes, hams and who can forget the $25,000 frozen haute chocolate? But now overpriced sodas are hitting the scene, and there aren't even gold flakes floating in them. Or refills! more ›