New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has unveiled a proposal to ban larger-size sodas and other sugary drinks in an effort to address obesity. New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said the plan would improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers.

Thomas Farley: “We have a crisis of obesity, and that people often go with the default choice, and if the default choice is something which is very unhealthy that’s feeding into that health crisis, it’s appropriate for the government to say, 'No, we think the default choice should be healthier.' But people still have the choice to purchase more than that. They don’t have the choice to purchase trans fat in restaurants, but they do have the choice here to purchase more sugary beverages if they want to.”

The plan is already facing a corporate backlash. Coca-Cola and McDonald’s both condemned the proposal, which would prohibit many places in the city from selling soft drinks in cups larger than 16 ounces, which is the equivalent of a McDonald’s small. A McDonald’s spokesperson called the ban “narrowly focused and misguided,” while Coca-Cola also criticized it, saying, “New Yorkers expect and deserve better than this.” Public health advocates have hailed the proposal as a necessary move in the fight against obesity.