Michael Bloomberg became well-known for his anti-obesity policies when he was mayor of New York City but indicated in the Democratic presidential debate Tuesday that he won't seek the same approaches in the White House.

"What's right for New York City isn't necessarily right for all the other cities. Otherwise, you'd have a naked cowboy in every city, so let's get serious here," Bloomberg said Tuesday night at the Democratic debate, referring to a shirtless man who sings in the city's Times Square.

When Bloomberg was mayor, he pushed restaurants to ban trans fats, an artery-clogging compound linked to heart disease. Now, the substance is being phased out of food nationally, a process started by President Barack Obama. As mayor, Bloomberg also imposed a ban on sales of sodas and other sugary beverages over 16 ounces, but the measure was blocked in court.

Bloomberg's answer during the most recent Democratic debate also included a defense of New York's policies, and he indicated that he thought the federal government should still intervene to take action on obesity.

"It's the government's job to have good science and to explain to people what science says on how to take care of themselves and extend their lives," he said. "We are a country where there are too many people that are obese. We should do something about that."

He also touted his approaches to smoking in the city. As mayor, he banned smoking from certain areas and increased taxes on tobacco. Many of these ideas were replicated across the United States and even in other countries.

"It just goes to show if you have good public health, then you can do things," Bloomberg said.