Illegal to Eat?
A bill introduced in the Mississippi State House proposes to make it illegal for restaurants to repeatedly serve obese customers. Repeat violators could have their permits yanked by the state health department.
Two-thirds of Mississippi residents are considered overweight or obese.
Is this proposal going too far to combat obesity?
Two-thirds of Mississippi residents are considered overweight or obese.
Is this proposal going too far to combat obesity?
posted by lbarr at
1:36 PM
32 Comments:
How the heck can any legistlature even think about enacting such a law. Im sure it would gather no support. Talk about the legality of it. It would surley be stuck down in the United States Supreme Court. So much for free will.
Is there going to be a scale at the drive-up window like they have at the truck stops?
Can you spell the word d-i-s-c-r-i-m-i-n-a-t-i-o-n?
I knew ya could.
WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING STEROIDS FOR SOME KIND OF CONDITION AND THEY SEEM TO BE OBSESE? I THINK THAT THE LEGISTLATURE SHOULD BE TRYING TO GET THE ECONOMY UP AND GOING.
What is wrong with this country? They pass laws that are completely rediculous and never want to tackle the REAL PROBLEMS facing this country. The legislators should be removed from office for coming up with this.
This is absolutely ridiculous! I can't believe they would waste their time on something like this. I thought they were trying to do away with discrimination - and that's exactly what this is.
I think the Government should be working on the problem with steroids in our food(especially BEEF)!!! If this was not happening the people would not be as over weigh as they are.
I cannot even believe this would be considered. As an overweight person, who has lost 65 pounds in the last 6 months, going out to eat every few weeks is like a treat for doing so well the rest of the time. Are we reverting back to the age of not service because of race? Every day that I live, I become more and more disgusted with the human population.
Thats is serious discrimination. There are some people who cannot control and it is seriously a medical condition. Maybe they should think about what there doing when they allow someone to franchise and build another fast food restaurant. This is just nonsense.
this is sad they are even wasting time on it maybe they want places to close down maybe they think our economy is so great and on top of it its a persons issue not the states are they going to force feed the ones with eating dissorders
No one should be surprised. Now that there isn't much more that they can do to smokers, fat people are a prime target. The writing was on the wall all along, but the non-smokers just wouldn't open their eyes to see it coming.
Before the government starts discriminating against people who are obese, they need to take a long hard look at the commercialism that promotes unhealthy eating by labeling foods that are bad for you as "fat free", "diet", "low calorie", or "healthy". The food manufacturers are tricking the consumer into eating their foods by pretending it is "healthy" then they want to penalize the victims!
Yes, S. Clear:
Your noxious smoking fumes are the same as obesity. Here's the difference: When you sit next to someone who doesn't smoke and begin puffing on your noxious cancer sticks, you're endangering that person's health as well as your own. With all due respect, I don't want anyone else having the ability to determine my health status. As for those who are obese, that is something they may or may not be able to control, but it doesn't affect YOUR health.
It's nice to see the powers that be in Ole Miss have found something else to be bigoted about now that that behavior against African-Americans is out of favor.
I think this is absolutely absurd to think that anyone would consider legislation that "fat people" will not be served food. People have to eat.....what are they thinking????
This is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. We have an economy that isn't doing too well and terrorists that are threatening us but instead we are more focused on what people eat. Let people eat what they want people know the risks of eating too much junk food but they do it anyway. I'm glad they got rid of smoking because unlike being obese it doesn't hurt others around them and second hand smoke is worse than smoking itself.
Must be alot of morons in the State Legislature in Mississippi!!! That has got to be the most ignorant suggestion ever!! Just another example of the government dictating to people on how to live!! Democracy is slowly eroding away!!
What Kind of nation have we become that we elect these types of Idiots.. This is why we have to look long and hard about who we elect.. I bet if all of the overweight people of Mississippi would start a recall drive they could have enough signatures to throw these idiots out on their ear and take their big fat paychecks away.. how much you want to bet they will be crying foul all the way out the door.. lol
I'm disgusted with this garbage. With all the problems this country has, they're worried about obese people eating in restaurants? It's a waste of time, period. It's no different from trying to stop someone of a different color or religion from eating somewhere. It's scary that such a bill was even proposed in the first place. Shame on them!!
Obesity is a disease just like being diabetic, having heart disease, lung cancer & etc. What's next? You have to show your up to date medical history before you can order food, drink, or buy "smokes"? I was obese several years ago and my disease was no more the "general public's business than anything else I do that is legal! I hope these law makers don't have any vices we could go after w/a bill, however what are the chances of that since they're in POLITICS?
WHAT???????? What person in his right mind would even think about proposing such ridiculous legislation? Do they think that fat people don't vote?
First, who's going to determine just how much overweight is overweight.Secondly,if only GQ types can enter into these eating establishments,I wouldn't want any part of it.We have a hidden snobbery here in the U.S. and if you don't measure up then you're not worth anything.
It is due to people like this in our society (that show their ignorance & opinions on a public podeum) that creates the problems and stigma that the overweight population has to face on a daily basis. Being obese is not always a choice. There could be medical conditions that are underlying to cause a person to be in their condition. How about focusing on areas that this country needs help with or where we need change (Education, Preditory lending, Homeless, Jobless, Recession, the list goes on....) The scary part is these are elected officials! These three "officials" are nothing but biggots to the fullest extent of the term. They have way too much time on their hands to be looking to create something so absolutely absurd, and the citizens of their community need to step forward and demand an apology. If 2/3rd's of their population are obese, and these comments were made, I would be thinking someone would be out of a job.
We have drunk drivers ruining the lives of everyday people by allowing them to keep on trucking on down the road looking for their third,fourth,or or even their eighth victum. We have hardened criminals running loose because some one forgot to give them their rights,or lack of evidence.We have schools losing control of their students because of lack of discipline.Not to speak of the million other things that need to be paid attention to,however I guess that the words " GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT " mean nothing. We really need to take time to pray for them simply because if we just sit back and do nothing then we are just as responsible cause doing nothing is choosing to let them do as they please.
Obese or not everybody needs to eat and legislature has no right to dictate who should eat or not.
What is this country coming to? We are telling people they can't smoke, kids not to wear baggy clothes and now not to feed someone. That is absurd! Are we turning into a communist country? Is this the home of the free? I does make you wonder.
These legislators are tackling the growing obesity problem from the wrong angle. They should be looking at what kind of food is being served to people and determining if it's healthy or not.
Banning obese people from eating in public is the worst kind of discrimination I've ever heard of. "Yeah, lets just make fat people feel worse about themselves. They obviously aren't feeling bad enough about themselves already or they'd be healthy. Right!? We should ban them from showing their fat *sses in public until they shape up."
Those legislators need a 12"-wetware-debugging-device to the head. Seriously, I have to work hard to maintain my faith in humanity in the face of such utter stupidity.
Land of the free???? I think that government needs to take a look at what causes obesity. It is not only from overeating it is also a state of the economy. It is cheaper to buy BAD food. It is easier in the TWO income society to stop at a fast food restaurant to get something on the go. Obesity wasn't an epidemic back in the 50's and 60's when one income paid all the bills and the wife could prepare good healthy meals. If only thid was the good old days.
I'm still wondering if this isn't an attempt at lampooning all of the other ridiculous laws that we are subjected to in our ever-increasing nannystate.
Smoking is an annoyance to nonsmokers; there is NO evidence to support that fact that second-hand smoke is a serious health hazard. And there is still the right to choose whether you want to visit a smoking establishment or not. Since the law was passed in Ohio, one (of two) bowling alleys have closed and the other is struggling. A private civic club is closing and others are holding on by the skin of their teeth. Many people have lost their jobs due to the trickle down effect. (Musicians, waitresses, etc. etc.) But since you're a nonsmoker, well the collateral damage is all right. But if you're fat, by God, you better not discriminate against me! (By the way, the first nonsmoking ban was implemented in Nazi Germany--true fact, not urban legend.)
Fat people DO harm me--financially, because I have to pay higher insurance premiums to treat them--and obesity causes most of the health care costs in this country--not smoking. (Diabetes, knee and hip replacements, heart disease, cellulitis, high blood pressure, and on and on.
BUT--I am NOT advocating this bill, but I see how some people approve of government intervention, as long as it doesn't effect THEM, or it's a law they particularly like.
For all of you who approve of nonsmoking laws, regulations on food being sold, banning of trans fats, consider this:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
We either have freedom or we don't. You can't hand pick your level of how much you want the government to control you, because it won't stop.
Should they focus on things more important like the economy and how about voilence???
This is a sad commentary on the state of our government. What's next? Ban from grocery store? I think those who live in Mississippi need to have an election and get someone who has a brain.
Huzzah to the lawmakers in the United States!!! The obesity crisis, and it is a crisis, in the United States has spiraled out of control since the 80's and it is good to see legislators taking a stand. Maybe this will convince some people to go to the supermarket and get some real food rather than depending upon fast food as their main source of dietary intake. When airlines had to start charging double for obese people, or they can't fly because the seats are uncomfortable, should have been a warning sign to the nation. Overeating, poor diet, obesity and simply being overweight are lessening the life span of the nation and it is good to see legislators taking care of their citizens. Even if they don't realize that they need help.
Im sure that next we will be given phone cards that will limit the time we can talk on the phones too!
that is the biggest joke i ever seen in my life.....
wtf? they get bored at the meeting when their golden tee 2009 broke down and actually had to work for a change?
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