Miss. Considers Restaurant Ban For Obese

Lawmaker From Fattest State In U.S. Says He Wants To Draw Attention To Obesity Epidemic

(CBS/AP)  A lawmaker in the fattest state in the nation says he wasn't trying to offend anybody by filing a bill that would ban restaurants from serving food to obese customers.

He says he never even expected his plan to become law.

"I was trying to shed a little light on the number one problem in Mississippi," said Republican Rep. John Read of Gautier.

"It was a far-reaching bill, but you're trying to get people's attention to study the proper motive of obesity which is a concern to all of us," Read told CBS News'The Early Show. "Sometimes you have to go a little extreme to get the dialogue started."

Mississippi is the first state where more than 30 percent of adults are considered obese, according to a 2007 study by the Trust for America's Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.

The state House Public Health Committee chairman, Democrat Steve Holland of Plantersville, said he is going to "shred" the bill filed by Read and two other House members, Republican Ted Mayhall of Southaven and Democrat Bobby Shows of Ellisville.

"While I appreciate the efforts of my fellow House members to help curb the obesity problem in Mississippi, this is totally the wrong approach," Holland said in a news release, reports the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

Public Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Steve Holland said today he will "pocket veto" House Bill 282, which means it will die in a subcommittee this week.

"It is too oppressive for government to require a restaurant owner to police another human being from their own indiscretions," Holland said Monday.

Still, in a state where lunch buffets are laden with fried chicken and butter-soaked vegetables, Holland said he understands the intentions of the bill's sponsors.

"Certainly, I can identify," Holland said. "I'm obese myself."

The Center for Consumer Freedom, a Washington-based nonprofit group supported by restaurants and food companies, blasted the no-serve bill in Mississippi.

"Give me a break," J. Justin Wilson, a senior research analyst for the group, said Monday. "Bills like this strip personal responsibility out of the obesity equation. Frankly, that's the only solution to the problem."

Jackson restaurant owner Al Stamps said it is "absurd" for the state to consider telling him which customers he can't serve. He and his wife, Kim, do a bustling lunch business at Cool Al's, which serves big burgers - beef or veggie - and specialty foods like "Sassy Momma Sweet Potato Fries."

"There is a better way to deal with health issues than to impose those kind of regulations," Al Stamps said as reggae music played in the background. "I'm sorry - you can't do it by treating adults like children and telling them what they can and cannot eat."

Mississippi has not ignored its obesity problem. For more than a year, one of the state's largest health insurance companies, BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi, has aired TV ads with Republican Gov. Haley Barbour urging people: "Let's go walkin'." And a 2007 state law requires at least 150 minutes of physical activity instruction and 45 minutes of health education instruction each week for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Until then, gym class had been optional.

"I think it's definitely a publicity stunt and a troublesome one," Joseph Nadglowski, president of the Obesity Action Coalition told The Early Show. "We are not going to help those affected by obesity by further discriminating against them."

"Unfortunately, there's this view that if you stigmatize someone who's obese or you discriminate against them, you're going to help them lose weight," Nadglowski said. "But research actually shows this is absolutely not true."

Read, a pharmacist, acknowledges he would have a tough time at restaurants if his bill were to become law - he said he is 5-11 and about 230 pounds. Even though the bill will die, Read said he hopes he has created serious discussion about an expensive public health issue.

"Obesity is like an 800-pound or 1,000-pound or 2,000-pound elephant walking around," Read said. "And everybody ignores it."

"We're not trying to hurt people," Read told The Early Show. We're not trying to discriminate against people. We want people to think."

[dcmgwhh]

I suppose he plans on eating at home from now on.

[msubabe]

How luticris is this? We in Mississippi try to over come the terrible things that a few idiots have done in the past and then just as we rise above one some one does another idiotic act to bring us back down. We we ever be seen for our good? Thanks for pointing out the wrongs in our government. I doubt that he will be re-elected!

[displeased]

This is a totally ridiculous approach. People need to take responsibility for their lifestyle in regards to eating and exercising, not the restaurants. Starting with education is a better approach, in particularly with the children. It''s too late for the adults.

[mudrose-2009]

This is blantant Big Nanny Government control. How dare government think it has the right to tell people where and what they should eat. This is why so many people are out of control, because they are not responsible for their own actions. This is an outrage. Ugh!

[cyberus-2009]

This is just as stupid as the trans-fat bans that only apply to restaurants.
The restaurants can''t use margarine or any other trans-fat yet the store shelves are LOADED with foods saturated with trans-fats (and saturated fats for that matter). Just check the label .. ignore the 0 per serving ***, if it says *hydrogenated* or *partially hydrogenated* next to any oil thats trans-fat.
Now, don''t get me wrong, I believe everyone should be able to make their own choice whether or not to buy and consume products ...
.... I just think that picking on restaurants that provide a small percentage of weekly intake because thats the only horse that states and cities have the authority to beat on is wrong.

[lorinkundert]

That would be so blatantly unconstitutional that is isn''t funny.

[formrusmcsgt]

Here in Las Vegas, most casinos offer a huge buffet.

I often see the obese clients eating four or five plates of food at one sitting.

No wonder they''re obese......

[dogsoul]

"He says he never even expected his plan to become law. ''I was trying to shed a little light on the number one problem in Mississippi," said Republican Rep. John Read of Gautier.''"

Well Jerkface - the process of creating new laws - particularly ones that strip personal freedoms - isn''t supposed to be YOUR personal tool to advertise & ''bring awareness'' to issues without any intention whatsoever of actually making it a law... frankly, that''s an abuse of the legal system.

If I''m in charge of the water department - and I shut off the city''s water to ''bring attention'' to drought stricken Sudan - I ought to be fired...

[victoria09-2009]

The government has NO RIGHT to tell us where we can or can not eat. What happen to the land of the free, do we not have any rights anymore? If we want to eat greasy burgers everyday, then that is up to us not the government!!!!!!

[barbaraf4]

In Mississippi, will someone stand at the door of restaurants with a scale and tape measure to see who qualifies to enter? Is business so good that they can offend and turn away patrons at the door? Isn''t Mississippi one of the poorest states in the Union?

Why stop at obesity qualifications? Why not have a dirty fingernail inspector or a doctor''s excuse proving that you are medically okay to partake of the salad bar. I know I always hate to see someone sneeze over the lettuce.

This concept is just crazy. Obesity is a symptom not an illness. We need to stop singling out those who are different.

[dogsoul]

...this is absolutely, positively, 100% a biproduct of the anti-smoking lobby''s success at taking away rights of business owners to ban smoking from bars in many cities...

And just like all those business owners & smoking patrons warned... next time, they''ll come after something that DOES affect you...

Overeating doesn''t affect other people like 2nd hand smoke you say??? Well, just like they trumped up the true dangers of 2nd hand smoke to make it a ''social'' problem - obesity results in many health problems which drives up the cost of insurance & other health costs for everyone... now it IS a social problem...

You''re getting precisely what you''re asking for....

[lajimi]

Didn''t this same state do this kind of thing with another minority some years ago? I seem to remember it didn''t end well.

[jlynx1]

I dont see anything wrong with this law. Heck if I can stand outside at 5 degrees to smoke because it may harm someone then fat people can stand outside with me

[omega39-2009]

I dont see anything wrong with this law. Heck if I can stand outside at 5 degrees to smoke because it may harm someone then fat people can stand outside with me

Posted by Jlynx1

A simpler solution might be to ban all the fast food ads from television like they did cigarettes. I can sit in front of my computer for hours and never get hungry. Thirty minutes in front of the television watching ads for Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza hut etc. and I am running for the refrigerator.

[bbwgirl69]

This is just another form of discrimination. Maybe all people from pluscupid.com just won%u2019t go to Mississippi to eat. They won%u2019t serve them anyway. Well the food probably sucks anyway.

[omega39-2009]

We have all become the "Pavlov''s dog" of Madison Avenue.

[displeased]

I dont see anything wrong with this law. Heck if I can stand outside at 5 degrees to smoke because it may harm someone then fat people can stand outside with me
Posted by Jlynx1

Overweight people don''t harm other people like smoke does. The only way overweight people or their life styles will affect me is if our tax dollars are used to subsidize their health care.

[janenemark]

When did the government decide their major job was to tell Americans how to live their lives and not to protect America from outside hostile forces!

I am a 50 year old woman who is considered Morbidly Obese and had gastric bypass surgery in Sept 2007. So, blogger Displeased...There IS hope for adults!

Mr. Nadglowski is right when he said "Unfortunately, there''s this view that if you stigmatize someone who''s obese or you discriminate against them, you''re going to help them lose weight," "But research actually shows this is absolutely not true."

How many people do you know who have quit smoking or drinking or doing drugs or doing anything addictive in nature has "quit" because they were discriminated against or nagged at to quit? It doesn''t work that way!

Americans need to stand up and take back their rights and tell government to butt out!

[pared1]

This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Okay maybe they should limit how much people can eat at an "all you can eat buffet" But to ban fat people from restaurants is dumb.

[smiley676]

This is ridiculous. Doesn''t anyone read the Constitution and the letters and essays written by our founding fathers? The US was not founded on big government controlling the lives of its people. Why are we heading that way more and more everyday?

The government is supposed to keep us united as a nation and protect us from outside forces, but NOT tell us how to live our lives.

If people want to be fat, let them be fat.

Besides, I think that this is a clear violation of the Equal Protection Clause.

[msubabe]

I am truely embarrased for my state! Just what we here in Mississippi need, another MORON trying to help. Maybe there should be a law against idioctic law makers and ban them from government. How are we, as a state ever suppose to rise above anything neagtive with stupid people like this in power? There are worse problems that need attention in this state like educational pay raises. My mother has been teaching for 34+ yrs and would like to retire one day and then pay raise would help tremdously! The no child left behind act needs to be done away with. No more you scratch my back I scratch your back small town politics. Lawmakers need to focus on the real issues! Who decides on who the obese states are anyway and how? Skinny people who count the number of fat people as they drive through from state to state? Please! Get real people. If this is our nation''s big issue then our government is going to hell in a hand basket!

[b-easy63]

The ban would not last long. As soon as Businesses and the government realized that fat people contribute a lot to the economy by eating out a lot and spending a large chunk of their income there, Someone will not only repeal the law due to it hurting business--but will issue a mandate that fat people MUST go out to eat and it is their DUTY to spend, spend spend and eat as much as possible to keep the economy afloat.

America would never let a thing like debt or health get in the way of her greed for money.

The person who proposed this should be voted out by the rest of the state--then HE can lose weight due to lack of a job.

[byeneocons]

It is only logical that a Republican, someone in the party which professes less government interference in individuals lives, would try to ram their lifestyle values down someone else''s throat. They''ve been doing it for decades, yet their followers continue to believe they are the party of less government interference. This is just another example of the Hypocrite Party they''ve become in the past ten years.

There is something in the air with McCain''s nomination that signals an end to the Fox News Rush Limbaugh insanity that Republicans have obeyed like zombies for too long.

[runningralph]

This goes out to all the obese in Mississippi and elsewhere. You can get paid and lose weight at the same time if you are under 40 years of age. Join the French Foreign Legion. They will get you fit and trim in short order. Now recruiting for fun and excitement in Chad.

[Scooter68]

Forget the stupidity of trying to regulate who eats what foods, or for that matter how food is prepared as long as it is cooked or ''safe'' to eat.


Who sets the standard for "obese" for the restaurants to use? Is everyone in Mississippi going to be issued an card with their weight ''status'' on it? Worse than stupid this is an unenforceable ''law''. Even the politician who proposed it stated it was just to get peoples attention. I hope it did, so that they can vote the time wasting idiot out of office. No wonder the state is the poorest in the nation - even the politicians have poor ways.

[ryindy]

Hey why not? You people think you live in a free society or something?

Bring on the food police! Everybody gets weighed before you enter a McDonalds!

If the people of Mississippi don''t throw that Bum out of Office in the next election they deserve Facism.

[oeangus]

to ban fat people from restaurants is dumb. - Posted by pared1

On the other hand, having to look at them while eating IS an appetite killer, so I can sort of see where this politician is coming from.

[ryindy]

Does it make anyone wonder how they would differentiate between Mississippi obese and obese tourists ??

[demslie]

Democrats have the same hate for fat people as they do for Bush, Republicans, Christians, The Military and anything that can be called traditional America. If you are not a liberal atheist terrorist loving *****, you just cannot come up to the level of a Democrat Elitist. It%u2019s no wonder that the Democrat version of a political administration sounds exactly like a Socialist Dictatorship. Only Democrats are smart enough and arrogant enough to tell all of American that they are to stupid to make any decision on their own. The Democrat government will tell us what is good for you. Trust them.

[smiley676]

Obesity isn''t killing us, big government is killing us.

Don''t vote for anyone who wants to increase governmental power over individuals.

[gopack443]

It might be starting as a joke but it''s just a matter of time before it''s real.
First it was the smokers next it will be fat people. little by little we will have a government version of perfect citizen''s. They will not question any freedoms taken away for "there own good"

[samrensho]

Have you seen that tub of guts they have for a governor?? He''s got more chins than I have toes. Republican of course.

[gopack443]

demslie.
This bill was started by Republican Rep. John Read of Gautier.
read the story.

[imarealtool2]

It looks like Mississippians will have to put on their KK K robes to hide their obesity in restaurants.

[dallaskay8]

I watched the interview with John Read on banning obese people in resturants in Mississippi and my answer is does that include Nr Reas as he appears to be obese himself.

[insightman-2009]

Stupid law. All that is needed are different insurance rates for smokers, eaters, drinkers, etc. If people want to indulge, then let them. But why should I pay premiums to insure these people when there are proven consequences of their indulgence? Someone eating at the table next to me doesn''t affect my health. Someone smoking does. It''s my right to be healthy if I want, just like it''s your right to indulge.

[gunnerv1]

smiley 676 You just vetoed all the Democrats

[kaviz]

It seems to me this legislation is a bit redundant. Most restaurants already have a standard size policy in place. It''s called a door! If you can''t fit through it, you''re SOL.

[pared1]

to ban fat people from restaurants is dumb. - Posted by pared1

On the other hand, having to look at them while eating IS an appetite killer, so I can sort of see where this politician is coming from.

Posted by oeangus at 10:30 AM : Feb 05, 2008


That sounds like it''s your problem. I don''t pay attention to people while I am dining. I''ve never had a weight problem so how could put myself in their shoes. This won''t make people lose weight - in fact the opposite I would guess.

Next time you%u2019re out dining look at your food or the person with you instead of at other diners.

[insightman-2009]

Yes, Haley Bourbon is a fatso.

[ryindy]

"It might be starting as a joke but it''''s just a matter of time before it''''s real.
First it was the smokers next it will be fat people. little by little we will have a government version of perfect citizen''''s. They will not question any freedoms taken away for "there own good" - gopack443"

What you anticipate is unfortunately true. That''s a primary reason why we have terms for lawmakers.

Anyone in the position of legislature that even jokingly makes that type of announcement, is not qualified for public office.

If Mississippians want to live in a facist state all they have to do is re-elect Read. Allowing someone in that position is paramount to stupidity.

[insightman-2009]

If you have ever been to the Golden Corral... Well, let''s just say it is not a place to go for the atmosphere and a fine dining experience. It''s like a hog trough. There are all-you-eat-until-you-puke buffets on every corner in the South. How these places stay in business is anyone''s guess. I feel sorry for people who have to eat so much.

[beader59]

This is BIG BROTHER exemplified. This is disgusting that this type of prejudice is wrong and should not come from a representative from our government. Burning books, cameras in our bedroom, what kind of cars we can buy,censorship, the bible taking over our Constitution, PREJUDICE!

[antoniof123]

smiley 676 You just vetoed all the Democrats


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by gunnerv1 at 10:57 AM : Feb 05, 2008

Actually this is a red state and the congressman is a Republican. So let me see I would see you just vetoed all the Repulbicans who say small government and everytime they get into power they mushroom the government.

Actions speak louder than words and America is starting to see it now again.

[barbaraf4]

"If you have ever been to the Golden Corral... Well, let''s just say it is not a place to go for the atmosphere and a fine dining experience. It''s like a hog trough. There are all-you-eat-until-you-puke buffets on every corner in the South. How these places stay in business is anyone''s guess. I feel sorry for people who have to eat so much."
Posted by insightman
~~~~~~~~~~~~
They aren''t just in the South. There are many similar establishments around the country. I remember my ex-husband telling me that when he played high school football the coach would take the team to an all-you-can-eat place after practice and turn them loose. He said the blood drained from the restaurant manager''s face every time the team came in!

[maggg1]

You can''t objectively compare obesity to smoking. If a fat person wants to continue to eat, that action does not affect a patron at the next table; however if a smoker wants to light up in a restaurant, their actions do affect a patron at the next table.

[insightman-2009]

"Golden Corral has some fairly decent food if you can avoid being trampled by all the hogs feeding at the trough. . ."
Posted by tuckerndfw at 11:16 AM : Feb 05, 2008

Excellent point. I really don''t mind the food either, except for maybe the pudding the contents of which may contain (at any given moment) M&M''s, oreo cookies, Hershey kisses, bananas, hair, snot, boogers, blood, fingernails, etc.

[inventagod]

They shouldn''t let a drug-addict fascist run our country, but he does...

[insightman-2009]

Chill out MCVet. Have some pudding!

[ryindy]

"They shouldn''''t let a drug-addict fascist run our country, but he does... Inventagod"

I didn''t vote for King Jorge.