Tim Ferriss for Mayor? Soda Ban, Diets and the Nanny State

In an interview with The New York Observer published on Tuesday, Springs native, author and “4-Hour” lifestyle guru Tim Ferriss sounded off about Michael Bloomberg‘s proposed soda ban, diet misconceptions and other “nanny state” health legislation—all while describing his hypothetical rule as mayor or czar of New York City.

Despite Bloomberg‘s failure to pass his unpopular ban on oversized sodas in the city, Ferriss said he agrees with the concept. “I value self-discipline, but creating systems that make it next to impossible to misbehave is more reliable than self-control,” he told The Observer, noting that removing unhealthy foods from the home is helpful during “lapses of self-control” while dieting. “These types of constraints don’t have to be legislated, but I do think that the proposed drink ban is a good idea,” Ferriss said, pointing out that sugar would likely fail to meet the FDA’s standards for “Generally Recognized As Safe,” or GRAS, foods if it were tested today.

As mayor or czar of New York, Ferriss said he’d promote the “Slow-Carb Diet” described in his book, The 4-Hour Body, which allows dieters to cheat and eat in excess one day per week. “Everyone is going to binge on a diet, for instance, so plan for it, schedule it, and contain the damage,” he said, explaining that it’s much easier to diet “six days at a time” and keep a “to-eat” list for the cheat day.

“On that cheat day (often called “Faturday” or “Dieters Gone Wild (DGW) Day”), people can consume five whole pizzas, they can have ice cream until it comes out their ears, whatever. It doesn’t matter… this psychological release valve is critically helpful to adherence,” Ferriss told The Observer. Later in the interview, he said exercise is overrated for weight loss, and that diet is the key, so “Forget about fancy workouts, expensive gyms, impossible schedules, and all the crap that everyone ditches after two weeks.”

In a final note, Ferriss shared would could be his most brilliant theoretical legal initiative: “I’d outlaw tight pants with “Juicy” written on the ass for anyone with more than 20 percent body fat.”

Click here to read The New York Observer’s complete interview with Tim Ferriss.

To learn more about Ferriss‘ diet and health concepts, check out The 4-Hour Body, and if you like what you see, read the book that made him famous, The 4-Hour Workweek or his latest, The 4-Hour Chef.

Visit Tim Ferriss‘ blog at fourhourworkweek.com.