The American soft-drink industry, accompanied by a restaurant group, has filed a lawsuit seeking to block New York mayor’s ban on sale of large sugary drinks at several dinning location in the city.

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg recently banned the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces in New York City, except in grocery and convenience stores.

The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Friday, claimed that the ban infringed personal freedom of consumers. It also cited polls showing that a majority of people in the city are against the restriction.

The ban on the sale of large sugary drinks aims to arrest the increasing number of obesity, but the plaintiffs, which include the American Beverage Association as ell as the National Restaurant Association, the legislation bypassed the proper legislative process.

The lawsuit claims, "This case is not about obesity in New York City … this case is about the board of health, appointed by the mayor, bypassing the proper legislative process for governing the city.”

However, many legal experts are of the view that the lawsuit by the American soft-drink industry will face an uphill battle as the health department has the power to regulate eatables in the city.

Marc LaVorgna, s spokesperson for Bloomberg, said the lawsuit will only attract public’s greater attention on obesity epidemic, which kills as many as six thousand people in New York every year.

The controversial legislation is slated to take effect in March 2013.