By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 10:15 PM on 31st January 2012 . The 'amputee victim' in a controversial ad warning against the dangers of drinking too many sugary drinks - who actually has two normal legs - has revealed his shock at seeing himself in the campaign. Cleo Berry, 27, of Los Angeles, California, is shown in a hard-hitting New York City advert about an overweight man who lost a leg below the knee because too many fizzy drinks led to an amputation. But Mr Berry, who was paid $500 to pose for photos in a studio in Manhattan, New York, several years ago, said he was in tears for a whole minute when he saw himself in the advert last week. Scroll down for video . Big controversy: Cleo Berry, 27, of Los Angeles, California, is shown in a hard-hitting New York City advert about an overweight man who lost a leg below the knee because too many fizzy drinks led to an amputation. ‘I was beyond shocked,’ Mr Berry told . the New York Times. ‘I cried at my computer screen for, like, a minute. I . said: “Oh my gosh, they even gave me crutches. Come on, people”. No amputation: The original picture of Mr Berry from a photo agency shows he has both legs intact . ‘I’ve always wanted my photo in an ad . all over the city, but I was hoping it would be for a TV show or . something, not this,’ he added, saying he would now like to do a . commercial for a fizzy drinks firm. After the advert was released it . emerged that the man featured in the ad - which then turned out to be Mr . Berry - actually has two legs and one of them was edited out by the . advertising agency. The actor told the New York Times he . is happy for the city to educate people on diabetes, but was not . impressed by their use of an edited image of someone who was not a real . victim of the disease. Mr Berry's IMDB film profile reveals . he was in an episode of the TV series House last year, called Out of the . Chute. He has also been in short films and was a stunt man in ‘The . Strongest Man on Earth’. New York City's health department . confirmed that his leg was removed to make the point of the campaign. The photo came from a company that supplies stock images to advertising . firms. But city officials were slammed for . not revealing that he was not a real amputee victim and did not have . diabetes. The photographer who took the picture, Morten Smidt, did not . know Mr Berry. Mr Smidt told the New York Times last . week that he had not seen the advertisement but said of it: 'Well, it is . an illustration now, clearly not the picture I did.' When the adverts were released earlier . this month, fizzy drink manufacturers were quick to attack it, saying . it painted an 'inaccurate picture' of what the beverage does to the . body. Real: The health agency insists that another anti-smoking campaign featuring a woman called Marie from the Bronx was a true-life portrayal of someone who had their finger tips amputated because of smoking . True: They also insisted the man with the voice box is a real-life throat cancer victim . But New York City health chiefs - and . Mayor Michael Bloomberg - insist it is a necessary shock tactic. They . said that in 2006, almost 3,000 New Yorkers with diabetes were . hospitalised for amputations. More than 1,000 of the posters were . put up in subways across the city. But Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for . the American Beverage Association, said the campaign was over the top. 'Instead of utilising scare tactics, . the beverage industry is offering real solutions like smaller portioned . containers and new calorie labels,’ Mr Friedman said. But in a press conference Mr Bloomberg . said: 'What do you want to do? Do you want to have people lose their . legs? Or do you want to show them what happens so that they won't lose . their legs?’ Other city ads feature a smoker who . developed throat cancer at 39 and now has to talk through a voice box . and a woman called Marie who had the ends of her fingers amputated because of . smoking. Also seen: Another ad shows an obese woman dragging herself up a set of stairs as she clings to the handrail over a graphic of how much bigger portions of fries have become . Defence: New York City health chiefs - and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, pictured - insist it is a necessary shock tactic. They said that in 2006, almost 3,000 New Yorkers with diabetes were hospitalised for amputations . ‘This issue isn’t about one actor but . rather the 700,000 New Yorkers who struggle with diabetes, which kills . 1,700 people a year,’ a health department spokesman told the New York . Times. 'I was beyond shocked. I cried at my computer screen for, like, a minute. I said: "Oh my gosh, they even gave me crutches. Come on, people"' Cleo Berry, advert model . ‘And (it) causes amputations in . another 3,000,’ he added. ‘Advertising to warn the public about health . concerns saves lives, and we will continue our efforts to warn New . Yorkers about diabetes.’ New York City is one of the most . forthright places in the U.S. when policing the health of citizens. Mayor Bloomberg has already banned smoking in public . places like parks and beaches. Adverts already running on the New . York City subway show how many miles a person would have to walk to work . off the calories from fatty kinds of coffees. New Yorkers have also been forced to . look at an anti-obesity advert showing people drinking a glass full of . human fat to dissuade them from eating junk food.
Cleo Berry, 27, of Los Angeles, California, posed for photo years ago .
But he found himself amputated and given crutches for NYC health ad .
Unhappy with use of able-bodied person but backs diabetes campaign .
By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 10:15 PM on 31st January 2012 . The 'amputee victim' in a controversial ad warning against the dangers of drinking too many sugary drinks - who actually has two normal legs - has revealed his shock at seeing himself in the campaign. Cleo Berry, 27, of Los Angeles, California, is shown in a hard-hitting New York City advert about an overweight man who lost a leg below the knee because too many fizzy drinks led to an amputation. But Mr Berry, who was paid $500 to pose for photos in a studio in Manhattan, New York, several years ago, said he was in tears for a whole minute when he saw himself in the advert last week. Scroll down for video . Big controversy: Cleo Berry, 27, of Los Angeles, California, is shown in a hard-hitting New York City advert about an overweight man who lost a leg below the knee because too many fizzy drinks led to an amputation. ‘I was beyond shocked,’ Mr Berry told . the New York Times. ‘I cried at my computer screen for, like, a minute. I . said: “Oh my gosh, they even gave me crutches. Come on, people”. No amputation: The original picture of Mr Berry from a photo agency shows he has both legs intact . ‘I’ve always wanted my photo in an ad . all over the city, but I was hoping it would be for a TV show or . something, not this,’ he added, saying he would now like to do a . commercial for a fizzy drinks firm. After the advert was released it . emerged that the man featured in the ad - which then turned out to be Mr . Berry - actually has two legs and one of them was edited out by the . advertising agency. The actor told the New York Times he . is happy for the city to educate people on diabetes, but was not . impressed by their use of an edited image of someone who was not a real . victim of the disease. Mr Berry's IMDB film profile reveals . he was in an episode of the TV series House last year, called Out of the . Chute. He has also been in short films and was a stunt man in ‘The . Strongest Man on Earth’. New York City's health department . confirmed that his leg was removed to make the point of the campaign. The photo came from a company that supplies stock images to advertising . firms. But city officials were slammed for . not revealing that he was not a real amputee victim and did not have . diabetes. The photographer who took the picture, Morten Smidt, did not . know Mr Berry. Mr Smidt told the New York Times last . week that he had not seen the advertisement but said of it: 'Well, it is . an illustration now, clearly not the picture I did.' When the adverts were released earlier . this month, fizzy drink manufacturers were quick to attack it, saying . it painted an 'inaccurate picture' of what the beverage does to the . body. Real: The health agency insists that another anti-smoking campaign featuring a woman called Marie from the Bronx was a true-life portrayal of someone who had their finger tips amputated because of smoking . True: They also insisted the man with the voice box is a real-life throat cancer victim . But New York City health chiefs - and . Mayor Michael Bloomberg - insist it is a necessary shock tactic. They . said that in 2006, almost 3,000 New Yorkers with diabetes were . hospitalised for amputations. More than 1,000 of the posters were . put up in subways across the city. But Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for . the American Beverage Association, said the campaign was over the top. 'Instead of utilising scare tactics, . the beverage industry is offering real solutions like smaller portioned . containers and new calorie labels,’ Mr Friedman said. But in a press conference Mr Bloomberg . said: 'What do you want to do? Do you want to have people lose their . legs? Or do you want to show them what happens so that they won't lose . their legs?’ Other city ads feature a smoker who . developed throat cancer at 39 and now has to talk through a voice box . and a woman called Marie who had the ends of her fingers amputated because of . smoking. Also seen: Another ad shows an obese woman dragging herself up a set of stairs as she clings to the handrail over a graphic of how much bigger portions of fries have become . Defence: New York City health chiefs - and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, pictured - insist it is a necessary shock tactic. They said that in 2006, almost 3,000 New Yorkers with diabetes were hospitalised for amputations . ‘This issue isn’t about one actor but . rather the 700,000 New Yorkers who struggle with diabetes, which kills . 1,700 people a year,’ a health department spokesman told the New York . Times. 'I was beyond shocked. I cried at my computer screen for, like, a minute. I said: "Oh my gosh, they even gave me crutches. Come on, people"' Cleo Berry, advert model . ‘And (it) causes amputations in . another 3,000,’ he added. ‘Advertising to warn the public about health . concerns saves lives, and we will continue our efforts to warn New . Yorkers about diabetes.’ New York City is one of the most . forthright places in the U.S. when policing the health of citizens. Mayor Bloomberg has already banned smoking in public . places like parks and beaches. Adverts already running on the New . York City subway show how many miles a person would have to walk to work . off the calories from fatty kinds of coffees. New Yorkers have also been forced to . look at an anti-obesity advert showing people drinking a glass full of . human fat to dissuade them from eating junk food.
seeing himself in the campaign. Cleo Berry, 27, of Los Angeles, California, is shown in a York, several years ago, said he was in tears for controversy: Cleo Berry, 27, of Los Angeles, struggle with diabetes, which kills . 1,700