France bans unlimited sugary drink refills • Hacker News Board

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#41

Post by Symbiote » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:04 PM UTC

rhapsodic wrote: post #25

digitalengineer wrote: post #7

I remember my vacation in the states (in the South). I got served a absolutely massive glass of coca-cola with my dinner. When I had finally managed to finish it a waiter came and refilled the bloody thing when I wasn't paying attention. How can you enjoy your meal with that much to drink?

>I remember my vacation in the states (in the South). I got served a absolutely massive glass of coca-cola with my dinner. When I had finally managed to finish it a waiter came and refilled the bloody thing when I wasn't paying attention. How can you enjoy your meal with that much to drink? Are you from a place where there is a cultural taboo against only drinking part of the beverage a restaurant serves you? Saying…

> Are you from a place where there is a cultural taboo against only drinking part of the beverage a restaurant serves you?

I think that describes most of the world, if allowance is made for places where leaving the last sip (or last mouthful, for food) shows enough was served.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#42

Post by johnchristopher » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:04 PM UTC

canadian_voter wrote: post #24

I'd rather live in a country that provides comprehensive free health care and limits soda consumption, than one that allows me the "freedom" to consume as much sugar as possible and makes me pay for the consequences. I must be a radical hippie leftist: I think we should tax the sh-t out of refined sugar and subsidize organic vegetable farms.

That's a very interesting debate to have. FTR: I remember reading somewhere something about a discussion between the USSR and the USA after WWII that went more or less like this: "Better to have a belly full with state jobs than jobless and hungry free men".

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#43

Post by tnzn » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:05 PM UTC

Jdam wrote: post #14

Is it just me who's thinking that individuals in modern societies are not capable anymore of making meaningful decisions, including how much to drink? We're sacrificing freedom here because we became incapable. That scares me.

It's not about"modern societies", man has been proven by several dozens of studies to not be able to consistently do rational decisions when it comes to long term. This is just about that. Also, how is that "sacrifying freedom" lmao, it just means instead of paying for infinite refill you pay for a drink, which was already the case in most French fast food restaurants. And tell me more about "freedom" when you eat in a fast food restaurant that pays their employees like, treat them like shit, bypass most working laws to pay them less and make them work more and in bad condition. If your definition of "freedom" is "doing whatever the fuck I want without any limitations no matter the consequences", then I fail to see how this is a value worth pursuing.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#44

Post by hyperpape » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:05 PM UTC

digitalengineer wrote: post #7

I remember my vacation in the states (in the South). I got served a absolutely massive glass of coca-cola with my dinner. When I had finally managed to finish it a waiter came and refilled the bloody thing when I wasn't paying attention. How can you enjoy your meal with that much to drink?

Last time I talked with people about it, it seemed that Americans drink a lot more on a daily basis than Europeans. It's a habit that people develop.

I drink no soda, but drink 360 ml of coffee, 2 liters of water and 0-2 beers on a typical day. I'm more strict about drinking water than a lot of people, but I don't think I'm far outside the norm.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#45

Post by mlok » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:05 PM UTC

jMyles wrote: post #21

Jdam wrote: post #14

Is it just me who's thinking that individuals in modern societies are not capable anymore of making meaningful decisions, including how much to drink? We're sacrificing freedom here because we became incapable. That scares me.

Is there evidence that lack of capability is the culprit? Is it possible that people are perfectly capable, but make informed unhealthy choices because it's what they want to do? I can't stand even 8oz of sugary soda, but I also can't imagine judging or restraining someone (let alone with the violence of the state) who wants to.

They are hooked. What they want is not based on informed unhealthy choices.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#46

Post by benchaney » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:05 PM UTC

tomatsu wrote: post #8

andrewclunn wrote: post #3

Free refills? How dare you! That stomach doesn't belong to the consumer, it's merely being rented from the state!

Classic "nanny state" defense. The food industry invented that, by the way.

Even it that is true, that doesn't make it wrong.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#47

Post by bane » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:05 PM UTC

digitalengineer wrote: post #7

I remember my vacation in the states (in the South). I got served a absolutely massive glass of coca-cola with my dinner. When I had finally managed to finish it a waiter came and refilled the bloody thing when I wasn't paying attention. How can you enjoy your meal with that much to drink?

When the U.S. and Russia began joint space station operations aboard the Mir station, one of the startling findings was the enormous quantity of water the American astronauts consumed compared to their Russian counterparts. I remember my first trips abroad to Europe and Asia and being baffled by how little water people drink or the tiny cups that they're served with.

Among Americans, the South is especially known for even more to drink and eat, with larger portions and sweeter drinks.

There's definitely some kind of huge cultural gap and is one of those weird subtle things that makes traveling interesting.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#48

Post by riffraff » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:05 PM UTC

rhapsodic wrote: post #25

digitalengineer wrote: post #7

I remember my vacation in the states (in the South). I got served a absolutely massive glass of coca-cola with my dinner. When I had finally managed to finish it a waiter came and refilled the bloody thing when I wasn't paying attention. How can you enjoy your meal with that much to drink?

>I remember my vacation in the states (in the South). I got served a absolutely massive glass of coca-cola with my dinner. When I had finally managed to finish it a waiter came and refilled the bloody thing when I wasn't paying attention. How can you enjoy your meal with that much to drink? Are you from a place where there is a cultural taboo against only drinking part of the beverage a restaurant serves you? Saying…

ATM this post is downvoted below zero.

I think it poses a legit question, there are in fact a different mindsets related to leftovers in different places, i.e. asking for a "doggy bag" is a thing in some places and not others.

To stay on drinks, my wife leaves glasses of water half full, and it drives me insane.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#49

Post by otalp » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:06 PM UTC

Jdam wrote: post #14

Is it just me who's thinking that individuals in modern societies are not capable anymore of making meaningful decisions, including how much to drink? We're sacrificing freedom here because we became incapable. That scares me.

>sacrificing freedom

People can still pay for sugary refills, this will simply protect the uninformed and the poor who take this as an opportunity to fill up to the detriment of their health.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#50

Post by claydiffrient » Sat, Jan 28, 2017, 4:06 PM UTC

When I was living in France and Switzerland free refills were basically unheard of. About the only place that I ever found that had free refills was IKEA.