NEW YORK (AP) — In a first-in-the-nation ruling, New York City is barring restaurants, cafeterias and concessions stands from selling soda and other calorie-rich drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces.
The regulation, which was proposed in the spring by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was passed on Thursday by the city's Board of Health after several months of review.
Now, public health experts around the nation — and the restaurant and soft-drink industry — will be watching closely to see whether the new restrictions lead to changes in the way New Yorkers eat and drink.
No other U.S. city has tried to fight the obesity epidemic by restricting portion sizes at restaurants. City officials say they were willing to take dramatic action to get the public to see that empty-calorie foods are a menace.

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(Photo: AP Photo/Kathy Willens)