NEW YORK – The era of the supersized cola may come to an end in New York City today, when health officials are expected to approve an unprecedented 16-ounce limit on sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, delis and movie theaters. But will it actually translate into better health?

Doctors and nutrition experts said the regulation’s success or failure may depend on more than just the modest number of calories it might slash from people’s
diets. It will hinge on whether the first-in-the-nation rule starts a conversation that changes attitudes toward overeating.

“Ultimately it does come down to culture, and it comes down to taking some first steps,” said Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick, a professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine who has studied the effect of government regulation on the obesity epidemic.