The phrase "would you like to supersize that" is well-known in the fast food community. Popular chains sometimes offer customers the next size up when an order is placed, and for "only 70 cents more," the deal is often hard to resist.

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According to The New York Times, the New York City Health Department launched a new ad campaign on Monday to help combat the supersize syndrome. Several different ads were created to warn against the dangers of consuming oversized portions, specifically obesity and diabetes. While the ads make a valid point, as the article points out, the advertisements "are not too subtle."

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

The posters show cups of soda, french fries, and burgers in increasing sizes along with photographs of "unhealthy people." One example, shown above, pictures a man who is diabetic and missing a leg and warns, "Portions have grown. So has Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to amputations." Although the ads point out the problems associated with 32-ounce soft drinks, extra-large orders of fries, and huge burgers, they don't acknowledge that portion sizes are not the only causes of obesity and diabetes.

The American Beverage Association noted that these new ads use "scare tactics." The group hopes to encourage drinking smaller servings of soda by offering solutions such as smaller beverage containers and calorie-counting labels. New York City's health commissioner said marketed portion sizes are much too large.

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While the ads may use drastic measures, they also mark the beginning of a grassroots campaign against "super-sized" portions. The campaign to make fast-food restaurants list caloric information also started as local movement, with states such as California enacting laws that resulted in calorie counts being listed on menus. According to MSNBC, in March 2010, the law became federal, making restaurants with more than 20 locations print menus that list calories. Fast-food chains were widely affected as some people became concerned about purchasing highly caloric fast-food meals. Some fast-food joints began offering lower-calorie options. What could a growing campaign against oversized portions mean for fast-food chains' favorite "super" size? Only time will tell.

What do you think: Do these ads have a good point or is there a less provocative way to make a similar statement?

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