HOUSE BILL NO. 282
An act to prohibit certain food establishments from serving food to any person who is obese, based on criteria prescribed by the state department of health; to direct the department to prepare written materials that describe and explain the criteria for determining whether a person is obese and to provide those materials to the food establishments; to direct the department to monitor the food establishments for compliance with the provisions of this act; and for related purposes.

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/do...99/HB0282IN.pdf

According to Junkfood Science, "House Bill 282 was introduced in the 2008 Mississippi legislative session on Friday by Representative W.T. Mayhall, Jr., a retired pharmaceutical salesman with DuPont-Merk. Its co-authors are Bobby Shows, a businessman, and John Read, a pharmacist."

you've got to be kidding me. i feel a rant coming on.

Yup, it's really a bill that was introduced to the Mississippi house for consideration. I was about to post it when I saw someone already did!

Heck, that's nothing in terms of crazy legislation. I remember when an idiot in Louisiana argued that abortion should not be allowed in cases of incest because line-breeding is how the best racehorses are developed. The state would be allowing an exception that destroys the ability of human beings to evolve into super-humans.

No, I didn't read that in the paper -- I heard it as it was said on the floor of the legislature.

Gotta love nut cases.

This is absolutely INSANE!

ROFL That is just unbelievable!!!

This is appalling. I'm sure it will never go anywhere, but it is so disappointing that people feel like they can say and do anything to the overweight with no regard for their person. This is just discrimination!

I don't see how they can do this. The obese pay taxes just like everyone else. Restaurants are public places. It's their trade to sell food. What if they are buying a salad and water? They still can't patronize it? I don't understand the reasoning behind it either. Is it that the "certain" restaurant is "fattening"? We all know that the ADA's "fattening" isn't correct. I would expect the restaurant to object also. Not necessarily because the obese are their "bread and butter", but with so much of the population qualifying as obese, they are limiting their market. And again, almost all restaurants sell something which is acceptable (as well as unacceptable).

What about obese travelers? Are they supposed to pack enough food for their trip? Can they eat in a hotel restaurant? I can order lots of stuff in hotel or any other "sit down" restaurant that'll pack weight on me.

Heck, they don't even stop alcoholics from buying alcohol. Even though they may drive drunk and kill someone.. (bit of sarcasm) They should mark their drivers license!! (No, I don't really think this, I just think it's just as ridiculous)

and so if a low carber orders the baconator to rip off the bun, they'll force them to have something healthier? like a muffin?


(psssst, I see dumb people)

No; as the bill is written, restaurants and fast food establishments (including those in hotels and casinos) would be prohibited from selling any type of food to anyone deemed by application of the criteria supplied to be obese.

Why the good representative chose to single out restaurants is beyond me since grocery stores are just as full of food that contributes to obesity.

*sigh* fatism is truly the last acceptable form of prejudice.



And they don't stop smokers from buying cigarettes or dippers from buying snuff (the tobacco lobby would crucify the man if he proposed something along those lines with tobacco products even if they probably are far more lethal).

I read about that this morning and all I could do is laugh. I lived in MS 15 years ago, still have friends there and visit a couple times a year, and can predict with confidence that the restaurant industry (and the state's resulting tax base) would collapse if this were enacted. Furthermore, most restaurants' employees would be unable to eat on the job.

I'm not saying this to be mean to the people of MS -- the law would have the same effect in the St. Louis area, where I live now.

How bizarre! Would they next extend it to grocery stores? Do they intend to starve overweight people into submission? This is the weirdest thing I've ever heard of.

BTW, where I live, bartenders are not generally allowed to serve a person who appears to be intoxicated. If they do, and the person is in an accident, or even causes an accident, then the bartender and his/her employer can be held responsible and sued. The exception would be a person or group who had a "designated driver" who was not drinking alcoholic beverages.

I could not fathom that this is real. I checked snopes.com and found no counter to it. It's real?

This is the craziest thing I have ever seen. I am actually rapidly losing faith in the human race. We are a pitiful lot.

America is history. It's over. More and more every day, freedoms go byebye. And we sit and take it. I'm serious, it's over, they got us where they want us. The last seven years have proved to me that we are sheep.

Here too. But, my point is, they don't not serve him initially. Even if he's an alcoholic, as opposed to a non alcoholic who's having a few. An alcoholic is an alcoholic whether he's intoxicated or not. As that stands, they'll serve him until he appears intoxicated. Where this proposed fat legislation, they can take one look at you, and not serve you. It is a prejudice. (also smacks of the old communism. Very Big Brotherish)

There's one being proposed here, that if a motorcyclist pops a wheelie, his motorcycle can be taken away. I don't think that's fair, even if I don't think they should be popping wheelies on the highway. Give him a ticket. Maybe a hefty ticket due to distracting other motorist. You don't take away someone's car for speeding. You give them a ticket.