Sorry, you’re too fat to eat here

**Star Man** · 02-05-08, 10:43 AM

Sorry, you’re too fat to eat here
Miss. bill would ban restaurants from serving obese customers

The Associated Press
updated 4:00 p.m. ET, Mon., Feb. 4, 2008

JACKSON, Miss. - 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.”
© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22997073...5773?gt1=10914

**Ducky** · 02-05-08, 11:31 AM

Well, I'd say he drew attention to the problem. Maybe not the way he intended though.

**Trojan 42** · 02-05-08, 11:53 AM

They'd only ever serve tourists then.

**Terminator** · 02-05-08, 12:01 PM

The government telling people they are too fat to eat is another example of them overstepping there authority.

**armsmaster270** · 02-05-08, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Trojan 42

They'd only ever serve tourists then.

Tourist don't taste as good as homegrown

**JAYBIRD33081** · 02-05-08, 05:32 PM

wow is that for real? lol the gov is way outa bounds on this.

**jmur5074** · 02-05-08, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by Star Man

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.

It was just a joke.

Kind of like educational humor.

**CW Mock** · 02-05-08, 07:17 PM

Out of bounds yes. Way out of bounds.

Just wish it would get some of those porkers thinking about sucking down a salad instead of a double greasebomber with cheese and fries for a change.

Our insurance rates go up because of obese people, and smokers. There IS a difference between being a little heavy, and a disgusting, overblown stunt double for Jabba the Hutt. I know losing weight is HARD ... but damn, some people don't care or try, and expect us to feel bad.

Side rant - Take for instance giving fatty a Handicap card so he/she can park close to the store. Fatty should be made to park the furthest AWAY so they can work off some pounds. SOB this topic makes me mad ...

But, back on track - no, the government has no business tell people they are too fat to eat in restaurants. If the restaurant does it, then that's another story.

**CT209** · 02-06-08, 05:33 AM

There is suppose to be a European country that outlawed the wearing of spandex by hugemongous fat people (good idea in my opinion

). What's another law outlawing fat folks from eating fatty food?

Seriously, anytime the government attempts to pass laws that infringe on, or try to control, personal responibility, it fails. Good attempt to shine a light on an existing problem, but I'm sure it didn't work out the way he wanted.