WASHINGTON -
She says it's almost like a war. But maybe a war worth fighting, according to D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh.
Cheh says in the next few months, she will be talking to her fellow council members about battling big soda.
"In terms of children in the District of Columbia, especially in certain areas, as many as half the children are overweight," says Cheh.
She has not yet introduced legislation, but may do so in 2013.
Baylen Linnekin, from the organization Keep Food Legal, says, "If the issue is that kids are drinking too much soda, it's incumbent on parents to reduce that amount themselves. But that's really a decision that parents should make rather than Mary Cheh and the D.C. Council should make."
New York City recently implemented a ban on large sugary drinks. And in a debate over the weekend, D.C. Councilmembers Michael Brown and Vincent Orange said they would support a similar ban.
"This is not something that we can ignore," say Cheh. "I know people say, 'Oh, nanny state, nanny state.' But I'll tell you what: if there is a serious public health problem, when hasn't the government looked to take steps to address it?"
The ban in New York City applies to drinks bigger than 16 ounces. The D.C. proposal might be something different - a tax. One penny for every ounce over the limit. It's not clear what the limit would be. It's called an excise tax, a tax on the use of something.
"It all boils down to food freedom of choice," says Linnekin. "It's not up to government to tell us what we should eat and shouldn't eat."
A similar measure failed in D.C. back in 2010.
