Rosie O'Donnell Reveals Weight Surgery

Speaking at a Chicago event for the American Heart Association, Rosie O'Donnell yesterday revealed that she has had weight loss surgery.

O'Donnell had a Vertical Gastric Sleeve, a procedure that removes part of the stomach, in July 2013, one year after her heart attack. Rosie reportedly said that she has lost 40 pounds since the surgery, going from 230 pounds to 190 pounds, and added that doctors recommend she lose 40 more pounds. "I did what many woman do, and I did not take care of myself," Rosie said. "And that's why I'm here, to try to get women to know you're worth it, take care of yourself and know the symptoms."

O'Donnell had a heart attack in 2012 and credits a Bayer aspirin commercial for saving her life after she waited more than two days before seeing doctors, who then put in a stent. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

NYC Obesity Rates By Borough

From a survey released last week by the city, we see what some argue is the primary benefit of living without a car.

Staten Island shares top place in the citywide obesity record with the Bronx. The percent is lower in Brooklyn, where 27 percent of the population was reported as obese, followed by Queens, with 22 percent. The smallest percent of obese residents lived in Manhattan, arguably the city's most walking-active borough. There, slightly under 15 percent of the population tipped the scales over the obesity mark, according to the survey. More Staten Island men are obese (34 percent, or 58,000 people), compared to women (30 percent, or 56,000), the Health Department reported. Staten Island Borough president-elect James Oddo called the statistics "brutal," adding that the numbers "verify what I see with my own eyes."

Despite the various campaigns of the Bloomberg administration, the overall obesity rate in NYC has climbed 25% since he took office in 2002.

Richard Simmons On Fox News

On Wednesday night, Richard Simmons delivered what is probably one of the most awkward interviews in Fox News history, telling squirming host Neil Cavuto, "You look so handsome tonight, I can hardly keep from climbing over this desk." Simmons goes on to declare that the Obamas have rejected him. Right wing sites such as Breitbart are calling him a hero. Yes, you read that correctly.

Bad News For Mexicoke Fans

Via the New York Post:

“Mexicoke,” the Mexican version of Coca-Cola that’s become a cult favorite north of the border may go the way of New Coke thanks to a Bloomberg-style “fat tax.” Arca Continental, the second largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America, has indicated it may drop a key ingredient, cane sugar, after Mexico’s congress last week passed a levy of an extra peso — about 8 cents — per liter for soft drinks sold in the country. Instead, the firm said it may switch to cheaper corn syrup to stay profitable.

Mexicoke is carried by many NYC bodegas, but few major retailers do.

NEW YORK CITY: Appeals Court Squashes Mayor Bloomberg's Big Soda Ban

NEW JERSEY: Gov. Chris Christie Had Secret Weight Loss Surgery In February

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today told the New York Post that he underwent secret weight loss surgery in February.

The Garden State governor agreed to the operation at the urging of family and friends after turning 50 last September. He told The Post he was thinking of his four kids and how it was time to start improving his health when he decided to have the procedure. “I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years,” he said. “For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.” He also insisted that, contrary to what observers may say, the effort to slim down was not motivated by thoughts of a presidential bid. “It’s so much more important than that,” he said. Christie checked in to a surgery center on Feb. 16. A source said he registered under a false name. The operation included placing a silicone tube around the top of his stomach, where it restricts the amount of food he can eat at one time and makes him feel fuller, faster.

An unnamed source tells the Post that Christie has already lost 40 pounds.

Animated Map Shows Obesity Trends

More at Slate. (Via JMG reader Win)

Quinn "Taunts" Bloomberg On Soda Ban

Yesterday a state judge blocked Michael Bloomberg's ban on "large sugary drinks," which was to have gone into effect today.  Openly gay 2013 mayoral candidate and current City Council Speaker Christine Quinn celebrated on CNN by swigging from a large Diet Coke during her interview with Piers Morgan. Because she has totally not been Bloomberg's enforcer for the last 12 years. Or something.  Quinn then shrugged off Morgan's observation that Coca-Cola has donated to her campaign.  "It's a small donation in total from Coca-Cola execs of $10,000 out of about the $6 million or $7 million we raised so far."

Judge Blocks NYC's Big Gulp Ban

New York City's ban on large sugary drinks was to go into effect tomorrow, but today a state judge blocked the city from enforcing the new law.

The city is "enjoined and permanently restrained from implementing or enforcing the new regulations," wrote New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling, blocking the rules one day before they would have taken effect. The city's chief counsel, Michael Cardozo, pledged to quickly appeal the ruling. In halting the drink rules, Judge Tingling noted that the incoming sugary drink regulations were "fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences" that would be difficult to enforce with consistency "even within a particular city block, much less the city as a whole."

Some city restaurants have already ordered thousands of smaller size glassware.

Weirdest Fox Clip Ever?

I'm not even gonna set it up. Just watch.

Coca-Cola: We're Fighting Obesity

Here's a two-minute PR piece posted yesterday by Coke. Ad Age breaks it down:

While Coca-Cola has been vocal in media, government and industry circles about its moves to bring more low and no-calorie options to market, the new ads mark the first time the beverage giant has taken its message directly to a large swath of consumers. "It's the first time we're really leaning into the conversation," Diana Garza Ciarlante, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman, told Ad Age. "We're doing it in a way that's anchored in what people expect of Coca-Cola. They expect us to be part of the dialogue, to lead where we can and to be responsive." A two-minute ad, "Coming Together," will begin airing today on national cable channels. The spot, created by Brighthouse and Citizen2, highlights the company's record of developing, distributing and marketing low- and no-calorie beverage options. And it clearly communicates a "calories in, calories out" message.

Big Soda Sues New York City

A coalition of soft drink manufacturers has filed suit to block New York City's ban on "large sugared drinks."

The suit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, contends that the Board of Health did not have the authority to ratify the new rules unilaterally. The rules — approved last month and scheduled to take effect in March — limit the size of sugary drinks to 16 ounces or less at restaurants, street carts, and entertainment and sports venues.  Legal action was widely anticipated from the soft-drink industry, which led an aggressive campaign this summer portraying Mr. Bloomberg’s plan as an affront to consumer freedom and has frequently opposed local regulations of its products.  The 61-page filing offers a detailed rebuttal to Mr. Bloomberg, arguing the soda restrictions are a form of de facto legislation, enacted by “executive fiat,” which should have been considered by the City Council. The plaintiffs say the rules represent “a dramatic departure” from the traditional role of the health department, and they are asking a judge to reject the size limits before they are put into effect.

A spokesman for the mayor responded that due to the city's "obesity crisis" the new law is a matter of public safety. Plaintiffs joining the suit include major movie theater chains and restaurant groups.

Tweet Of The Day - Dr. Ruth

NYC's Big Gulp Ban Vote Is Today

The NYC Board of Health will vote today on Mayor Bloomberg's plan to ban the sale of large-serving soft drinks and other "sugared beverages."

The plan is expected to be approved by the Bloomberg-appointed health board and then could take effect next March. It’s unclear what the prospects are for last-minute changes before the vote. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley has noted that the board has been reviewing the public comments. A soft-drink industry sponsored group called New Yorkers for Beverage Choices — which says it has gathered more than 250,000 signatures on petitions opposing the soda plan — is considering a lawsuit and exploring legislative options for challenging the plan if it passes, spokesman Eliot Hoff said. It’s not clear what legislative routes there may be: City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said Wednesday she’s not interested in trying to block the expected health board vote, though she has said she isn’t a fan of the soda idea.

A collective of soft drink manufacturers and resellers have spent millions to oppose the ban. AMC Theaters has decked out its NYC employees in mocking t-shirts that read: "I picked out my soda ALL by myself!"

UPDATE: The ban has been approved as was expected.

Seeking to combat rising obesity rates, the New York City Board of Health approved on Thursday a ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, street carts and movie theaters, enacting the first restriction of its kind in the country.The measure, unless blocked by a judge, will take effect in six months. The health board vote was the only regulatory approval needed to become binding in the city, but the American soft-drink industry has strongly opposed the plan and vowed this week to try to fight the measure by other means, possibly in the courts.

NEW YORK CITY: 84% Of Residents Say They Wouldn't Object To A Gay Mayor

The results of that Quinnipiac survey I took a few days ago are back and reveal that 84% of NYC residents don't care if the next mayor happens to be gay.

Voters don't care that mayoral hopeful and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is a gay woman — and they’d rather vote for a Muslim or a Mormon than a born-again Christian. A new poll from Quinnipiac University quizzed voters on their religious and other biases. While 10% of the New Yorkers polled reported they were less likely to vote for a gay or lesbian candidate, another 84% reported that it wouldn’t matter. Asked about obese candidates, 16% were less likely to vote for one, while 81% said it didn’t matter. “Good vibes for a couple of politicians — City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who’s female and gay, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie . . . who is stout,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

So the "obese" question was about Christie. That's odd, considering all of the other questions were specifically about New York City. Here's more from the poll:

Almost 3-1 opposition to stop and frisk by New York City black voters tips overall voter opinion to a narrow 50 - 45 percent disapproval of the police practice, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Black voters disapprove of stop and frisk 69 - 25 percent while approval is 57 - 37 percent among white voters and 53 - 45 percent among Hispanic voters, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Men are divided on the practice, with 47 percent in favor and 49 percent opposed. Women oppose the practice 51 - 43 percent. A decrease in police use of stop and frisk would not lead to an increase in gun violence, voters say 50 - 41 percent, again with significant racial division. Black voters say 63 - 28 percent the reductions would not lead to more crime. White voters believe it would 49 - 39 percent and Hispanic voters agree 52 - 46 percent.

Respondents were fairly evenly split on Mayor Bloomberg's anti-obesity campaigns, with 48% saying they don't consider the Big Soda flap to be an example of "nanny government."

RELATED: Another question in the poll regards a proposal to require city employers to grant between five and nine paid sick days per year. I supported that idea, as did 73% of those polled. However saying that the economy remains "too weak," Speaker Christine Quinn has blocked the issue from coming to a vote in the City Council, drawing the ire of labor groups. Paul Schindler covers the fallout in Gay City News:

“Labor plans to ‘sick’ gays on Christine.” So read the headline of an August 8 “exclusive” in the New York Post detailing a plan the newspaper said had been hatched at a meeting in Washington in July. According to the account, prominent LGBT leaders in New York were prepared to “publicly buck Quinn’s” run for mayor next year if the out lesbian City Council speaker failed to allow a vote on a measure guaranteeing workers at companies with five or more employees between five and nine paid sick days each year. The Post did not identify its sources nor did it name any of the prospective Quinn antagonists, and Gay City News has uncovered no evidence of anything quite so dramatic afoot on the paid sick leave front. That’s not to say that there are not important LGBT leaders pressing to make paid sick leave a reality in New York City nor that the arguments in favor of the bill are not based, in part, on issues of specific concern to the queer community.

Read Schindler's piece for an in-depth analysis of the various LGBT and HIV groups advocating for the sick days law. As I've mentioned here before, for years Quinn has been dogged at public appearances by a small but extremely vocal group of gay detractors. Judging by the above shrug to a potential gay mayor by the city's electorate, the strongest opposition to her 2013 mayoral campaign may come from inside the community. Ironic, yes? (Tipped by JMG readers Jared and Timmian)

At NYC's Big Gulp Hearing

It's going on right now and insiders predict that the ban will pass despite Big Soda's massive ad campaign. Famously snarky Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz makes an appearance below in full character.

Big Soda Vs Bloomberg, CTD

The "grassroots" group New Yorkers For Beverage Choices is firing up their anti-Bloomberg campaign in advance of tomorrow's "Big Gulp Hearing" by the Department of Health. Gothamist is smirking over the authentic New York City accents in the below radio ad. This week cinema employees are wearing t-shirts bearing the snarky slogan, "I picked out my soda all by myself!"

NEW YORK: Bloomberg Claims Victory With New Study On His Trans Fats Ban

Five years ago NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the Department of Health to ban trans fats in all city restaurants. It was the first such edict by any American city. Yesterday a city-funded study reported that the ban is having a dramatic effect on the amount of trans fats consumed by diners.

A new analysis of thousands of lunch receipts, collected at fast-food chains before and after the ban went into effect, estimates that the average trans fat content of customers' meals has dropped by 2.5 grams, from about 3 grams to 0.5 grams. Additionally, the proportion of meals containing less than 0.5 grams — an amount generally considered negligible — increased from 32% to 59% between 2007 and 2009. "For consumers, the transition was seamless. Most New Yorkers didn't even notice," says Christine Curtis, a coauthor of the study and the director of the city's Nutrition Strategy Program. "And now we know that it has really made a difference."

The above news will likely bolster Bloomberg's call to ban large servings of soft drinks and other "sugared" beverages.

Big Soda Vs Bloomberg, Part 2

(Via Gothamist)

Starbucks Ponders NYC's Sugar Ban

The three month public comment period on Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban on "large sugared drinks" has commenced. And Starbucks is trying to figure out how, if at all, the pending law might affect them.

Officials in City Hall and in Seattle said they were unsure how those rules might affect the Starbucks family of syrupy, milkshake-style coffee drinks, catnip to thousands of caffeine-addicted New Yorkers who frequent the company’s 190 outlets in Manhattan. “It’s hard for us to give a definitive word on which of our beverages would be impacted by the proposal,” said Linda Mills, a Starbucks spokeswoman, although she said the company was confident that many of its drinks would fall outside the proposed ban. The Starbucks question — complicated by the varying amounts of ice, sugar and milk in each customized drink — is just one of the ambiguities facing the city as it begins a three-month public comment period on the proposed rules. On Tuesday, the Board of Health, which has final say over the rules, agreed to consider the proposal formally at its next meeting, in September.

Insiders believe that unless the mayor succumbs to growing pressure to withdraw his bill, his appointed heads at the Department of Health will rubber-stamp the measure. Most affected would be fast food outlets, movie theaters, and street vendors. Grocery and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven would be exempt.