Large sugary beverages are one of the leading causes of serious health problems in the United States. One major issue in the United States is the obesity rate. The high sugars in sodas and in other beverages cause the obesity rate to increase every year. By banning large sugary drinks, there is a strong possibility that the obesity rate will go down. I am interested in this research question, because the obesity rate is extremely high and I personally believe that soda is one of the leading causes of this disease. I believe that large sugary beverages, such as soda, should be banned nationally. I am qualified to write about this, because I have personal experience with some of the health problems that large sugary drinks can cause and I thoroughly researched this topic. Large sugary drinks should be banned nationally because of the many health problems they can cause, the incredible amount of health benefits by not drinking them, and the many solutions already presented by scientists to reduce the consumption of them. New York City already set an example worldwide by banning the sale of large sugary drinks over sixteen ounces. Looking at this major city taking initiative to better their situation, I believe that the rest of the country should follow New York City's actions.  

My first source is an informative article about New York City's initiative to ban large sugary beverages in the city. The article was written by Micheal M. Grynbaum. He is a credible on this specific topic, because he is a world renowned journalist employed by The New York Times. He started writing for the Times in 2007, and continues to publish articles for the times present day. The source is credible as well. It is an informative article, therefore there is no bias. The article strictly states only factual information about the decision to ban sugary beverages over 16 ounces in New York City. The author is not taking a side on whether sugary drinks over 16 ounces should be banned or not. Grynbaum writes about how, New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, plans to ban the sale of sugary beverages with a size of 16 ounces or more. This ban would essentially affect all popular sugary beverages served by many fast food restaurants and franchises. Obesity is a major problem in the United States. More than half the adult population of New York City is obese. Many people, including Bloomberg, feel that banning large sugary drinks will decrease the obesity rate and motivate people to lead healthier lifestyles. However, there are others, like Stefan Friedman, who believe that banning sugary drinks is a waste of time and energy of the government. The ban will be put into effect March under the "first-in-the-nation" plan. My second source is an argumentative article about New York City's decision to ban large sugary drinks. The author of the article is Lawrence O. Gostin. He is credible on this topic because he is a journalist for Cable News Network. He is a professor of Global Health Law at Georgetown University. This was an argumentative article, so there was bias. Gostin is on the side of the argument that supports the ban in sugary beverages 16 ounces or more. He provides evidence for how large sugary drinks increase the obesity rate in New York City and why they should be banned. Lawrence Gostin's article, Banning Large Sodas Is Legal and Smart, promotes the New York City ban on sugary beverages 16 ounces and over. Gostin explains that six out of ten New York City residents are obese, along with four out of ten children residing in New York City. Gostin calls these statistics unacceptable because obesity is the leading causes to many diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. He believes that limiting the quantity size of sugary beverages will lead to a decrease in the obesity rate. People will feel the need to eat less and think about the amount sugar/calories they are consuming. He believes that the ban on large sugary drinks is "a little nudge in the right direction."

My third source is about the importance of cutting down sugary drinks, such as soda, and tips to decrease soda intake. The author of this article is Amanda MacMillan. She is a journalist for the website health.com. She is a specialist in the area of health and science. She has also written articles for the Cable News Network, National Geographic Magazine, and Popular Science. Her credentials are needed in order for her audience to believe that she is a credible source to present this information. Sources are represented in a slightly biased manner. She only focuses on the negative effects of soda and the importance of cutting down the amount of one's soda intake.  The author of the article, Amanda MacMillan, explains the importance in cutting down on soda intake. Whether a person drinks six cans of soda everyday or one can a day, decreasing the amount of soda intake is really beneficial to health.  Drinking excess soda can lead to many diseases like obesity and decay of tooth enamel. The high amount of sugar found in soda is unnecessary absorption of excess calories. Diet sodas are unhealthy as well. Although they do not have any calories, the artificial sweeteners they contain are harmful to one's health. MacMillan gives many tips to reduce soda intake, such as drinking more water, buying seltzer instead of soda, etc.

My research question is arguable, because there are two sides to the issue. There are people that support the ban of large sugary drinks and there are people who are against the ban of large sugary drinks. People who support the ban know the negative health effects of drinking large amounts of sugary beverages. People who disagree with the ban believe that the Government does not have a right to limit their sugary beverage intake. I might revise my research question by focusing on a single state instead of the whole country. 

