Philly mayor backs soda ban in D.C. after opening Shake Shack

A day before deriding big drinks and fattening foods at a conference in Washington, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter was at a ribbon cutting for a new Shake Shack in Philadelphia. Photo from @shakeshak

With the first place Washington Nationals repeatedly walloping the last place Phillies this year, you’d think Philadelphia know-it-alls would steer clear of D.C., especially those who can’t back up their bragging.

But that wasn’t the case Thursday when Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter came to Washington to give the keynote address at the National Soda Summit on Capitol Hill. He came with a message very similar to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg: people are fat because they eat too much and drink too many sodas.

“Sugary drinks, like soda, fruit drinks and sweetened teas, are the single largest sources of sugar in the American diet,” Nutter said, according to the text of his speech. “On average, Americans drink 20 ounces of soda a day,” he said, adding that Bloomberg’s proposed ban on sugared sodas larger than 16 ounces "is worth evaluating."

Like Bloomberg, who hosts the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest, we have learned that his fellow soda foe, Nutter, doesn’t walk the walk on fighting obesity either. Because according to the national restaurant chain Shake Shack, famous for its frozen custard and burgers, he cut the ribbon to the latest store opening on Rittenhouse Square Wednesday.

“It's official! Mayor Michael Nutter in the house to cut the ribbon. Philly Shack opens tomorrow at 11am!” @shakeshack tweeted Tuesday with an accompanying picture. According to the website MyFitnessPal, an average meal at Shake Shack is 1,700 calories.

SOURCE: Washington Examiner