CREDIT: Soda photo via Shutterstock A proposal to ban the sale of large, sugar-sweetened drinks in some New York City establishments is an important first step in combating the obesity epidemic but is not a solution on its own, experts say. The proposal raises awareness about the problem of large food portions and supports a culture that consumes less, said Simone French, associate director of the University of Minnesota Obesity Prevention Center. For instance, since the Coca-Cola Co. began selling its products, bottles often consumed as a single serving have increased in size from 6.5 ounces to 20 ounces, French said. "We need to have a cultural shift back to more modest, reasonable, appropriate portion sizes if we want to help reduce the obesity epidemic," she said. However, others say the proposed ban, which the city Board of Health is expected to consider over the summer and would not be adopted before next year, might be largely a symbolic...