Miss. Law Would Ban Serving Obese Diners

[Kor37 9]

Miss. Law Would Ban Serving Obese Diners

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS,AP

Posted: 2008-02-04 16:16:25

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A state lawmaker wants to ban restaurants from serving food to obese customers - but please, don't be offended. 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, who acknowledges that at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, he'd probably have a tough time under his own bill.

 

More than 30 percent of adults in Mississippi are considered it 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.

 

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

 

The bill had no specifics about how obesity would be defined, or how restaurants were supposed to determine if a customer was obese.

 

Al Stamps, who owns a restaurant in Jackson, 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. "I'm sorry - you can't do it by treating adults like children and telling them what they can and cannot eat."

I would think that this so-called lawmaker could find another way to bring attention to the problem of obesity than to insult his constituancy!.. :jem'hadar:

[Gummy 0]

Great.

 

Another state that I won't be visiting.

[Kor37 9]

Great.

 

Another state that I won't be visiting.

Or at least eating in....... :jem'hadar:

[Gummy 0]

Great.

 

Another state that I won't be visiting.

Or at least eating in....... :jem'hadar:

True.

[TJ Phaserman 2]

which means i can't visit any of my 300+ relatives in Mississippi anymore

[BKY1701 0]

What, do they want to kill the restaurant business? That's like keeping rich people out of the stock market!

[Kor37 9]

There is yet hope!

Tired of traveling overweight? Try Tonga!by Grant Martin Feb 5th 2008 @ 12:00PM

 

I just read a great article in the San Francisco Chronicle about overweight travelers and a way for them to get away from the judgmental eyes of the "skinny finicky foreigners."

 

The answer? TONGA.

 

Apparently, in Tonga being overweight is not quite the disaster that we as Westerners say it is -- to the contrary, being larger in the island nation is a sign of "wealth and social standing," kind of like 17th century France. Perhaps they have yet to get the memo on heart disease and diabetes.

 

I don't mean to sound critical, but the whole idea of traveling to a place where you can be accepted for being overweight seems kind of like circumventing the real issue. The problem is still there; you've just gone to a place where people won't bother you about it. Is that helping you resolve the matter?

 

But my favorite part of the article is a quote from NAAFA, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance:

 

"When you get to your seat during pre-boarding, raise the armrest between seats. This may give you the inch or two of extra space you need. The chances are that the passenger who will be seated next to you won't say anything; if he does, smile pleasantly and say that you'll both be more comfortable if the armrest is up."

 

Will you be more comfortable?

 

<_<

[Captain Armstrong 0]

What, do they want to kill the restaurant business? That's like keeping rich people out of the stock market!

 

<_< I just choked on my beer.

 

This is a stupid waste of time. Just some low level politician trying to grab some face time on television.