Gallup: 7-in-10 oppose limiting sugary drinks size

Seven-in-10 U.S. adults would vote against a law limiting the size of soft drinks and sugary drinks served in restaurants to 16 ounces, a survey indicates. The Gallup Poll was conducted June 15-16, as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration was appealing a lower-court ruling that struck down his proposed 16-ounce limit on sugary beverages in the city's restaurants. The survey found more Americans than ever were concerned about obesity as a serious problem to society. In addition, a majority said it was important to have government programs to address the health risks associated with obesity. However, while the question on sugary drinks did not state the purpose of the measure was to reduce obesity rates, the public might be skeptical this particular measure would have an impact. To start with, soda and coffee -- two beverages that could be subject to size limits under this proposal if they are sweetened -- are very popular, with nearly half of Americans drinking soda and two-thirds drinking coffee each day, Gallup said. The majority of Americans across all key subgroups opposed a law that would establish a size limit on sugar-sweetened beverages served in restaurants. But Democrats were more likely than Republicans to support the size limit, 37 percent to 21 percent, respectively. The survey of 1,015 adults has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.