Lawyer Preps For Fast Food Fight (Blames fast food for obesity)

cbs ^ | 11-03-03

[wheelgunguru]

John Banzhaf, the law professor who first took on big tobacco, today has a bigger - make that fatter - target in mind. Banzhaf, who teaches a class nicknamed "sue the bastards," now plans a series of lawsuits blaming fast food for making America fat.

As CBS News Correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports, Banzhaf thinks restaurants like McDonald's should explicitly tell you a Big Mac meal, for example, gives you most of the fat you need for the day.

"I think when people walk into McDonald's they know the food is fattening," says Banzhaf. "I don't think they have any idea how fattening.

"I think the fat suits could be the next tobacco."

If that sounds outlandish, listen to his latest strategy: the addiction theory, which claims that fatty foods create a type of addiction.

"There is growing evidence that fattening foods can cause the same addictive effect as nicotine," says Banzhaf.

To the restaurant industry Banzhaf is out there, but this is what he is relying on.

Researchers like Dr. Michael Schwartz, who studies obesity, believe obese people slowly lose the brain signal that says, "stop eating." He points to a very fat rat, being used in an experiment, as an example.

"His brain is saying, 'I don't have enough fat,'" says Schwartz, about the rat.

But a craving, Schwartz says, is no addiction.

"You can say you are addicted to air, but I don't think that's a compelling argument," he says.

Still, the legal question surrounding obesity will always be, whose fault is it, really, if you are fat?

Is it the restaurant's fault if your favorite food is a hamburger and fries?

In class, Banzhaf's own students lecture him on personal responsibility.

"It's not McDonald's fault they continue going there every day," says one of his students.

But the kings of Bazhaf-bashing own the Seattle restaurant Five Spot.

They've drawn up a fictitious contract.

"I release the Five Spot from all responsibility," it reads.

Anyone ordering a dessert called the Bulge, has to promise not to sue.

"People want to sign it," says restaurant owner Jeremy Hardy. "It's a fun way for them to go on record as saying this is ridiculous. Enough."

"Remember Gandhi said, 'First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then you win,'" says Banzhaf.

He says he just wants to win information. He wants fat and calories listed on menus beside the price of the food. It's that or he'll claim the industry's liability for obesity is $150 billion.

French fries bearing a warning

[SpaceBar]

This is the sort of lawyer that spawns lawyer jokes.

[BerniesFriend]

McDonald's or any other business must stop this TERRORIST lawyer..he know more cares about health or sick people..he just wants to line his pockets with cash...he must be stopped and made an example of..thru the court system of course..

[paul51]

Slime ball ambulance chaser. There is something wrong with a society that let's leeches like this thrive.

[GeronL]

I think the time has come for everyone to admit that there is an elephant in the room when it comes to obesity. We all know what causes it but no-one wants to admit it.

We must therefor ban together and stop buying food that tastes good.

Good tasting food is the culprit here and we must find lawyers who will sue all the companies that make good tasting food in one big massive class-action lawsuit. This may mean upwards of 250 corporations and the payout might mean more than a hundred billion and all Americans should join in.

It won't be hard at all to find the lawyers for this job.

[Gabz]

Banzhalf-brain is at it again.

[Astronaut]

Scumbag. He brings shame on the legal profession and makes hard working lawyers who want to help genuinely injured people look bad.

[sheik yerbouty]

What B.S! "You pays yer money and you takes yer choice!"

[pacpam]

Lawyers for the 'full employment act' are behind this kind of lawsuit. Yuck.
The culprits in all this are the so called nutrionists who touted a high carb diet. Think about it, when did we as a nation start getting fat? When the know it alls claimed carts were the thing to eat, not protein.

[Great Dane]

I knew they would keep at this one, til they got it right.

[BerniesFriend]

he KNOW more cares about health or sick people

I meant he NO more cares about health or sick people..sometimes I get distracted..6 year old twins can do that to you..

[Gabz]

You've got that right.

But what you call him is mild compared to my language about him - which I will not repeat here because I like to keep posting here.

[Gabz]

I knew they would keep at this one, til they got it right.

Banzhalf-brain has said he will - just like he did with the tobacco companies.

The man has no shame, no scruples, and no sense of personal responsibility.

And, BTW, the last time I saw him on one of the news shows, it sure looks like he should be staying out of the fast food restaurants.

[wheelgunguru]

sometimes I get distracted

No problemo. We knew what you meant. :)

[Mears]

And when this idiot is finished with the restaurants he'll start going after the parents who have kids that are overweight.

Be afraid of this guy,be very afraid.The attempt to absolve us from any personal responsibility is just an attempt to control us.

We are being legislated to death and all because we are considered too stupid to take care of ourselves.I wonder what the Founding Fathers would think of the USA today?

[blackbart.223]

"He says he just wants to win information."

Bullsh*t. He is looking for a big fat payoff.

[lockjaw02]

This looks almost word for word like one of the many "news" (sic) stories about this leech in the past year.

Banzhaf also lied to Congress under oath.

http://www.techcentralstation.com/101003D.html

[MissL]

Say what you will about the lawyer but he is not at fault. I was in a Wendy's in Ozark, Missouri...between Springfield and Branson, and there was this child about 10 or so he was at least 180 and still eating. His parents were no light weights and he had a huge meal...burger, fries, some sort of nachos, biggie frostie and everything was just a huge portion. And he was eating ....grazing and the entire time wanting his Dad's food...picking off his Dad's tray...it was sick .
After leaving I told my husband that we saw child abuse in action....that kid was a walking poster child for high BP, Diabetes, knee and hip replacements, heart problems, hope he does not smoke or drink because he will be dead and it will be his parents fault because they did not teach him moderation in all things !!! The parents were Sloppy FAT !!! NOt a good example.
Body is a temple...take care of it and it wil take care of you !!!
Don't be stupid.

[BillF]

"STOP ME BEFORE I EAT AGAIN" LAWSUIT.

That was how I described the Banzhaf fat suits to the dean of the GWU law school a few months back.

The dean laughed, but basically defended Banzhaf and it was a social situation where I could not press home a detailed critique of the fat suits.

Suits like the fat suits subject the legal profession and the legal system to well-deserved ridicule.

Bazhaf was an amusing prof when I had him for Torts and then Administrative Law more years ago than I care to state.

I was appalled in Admin Law when he described one suit of his Legal Activism class (aka "Sue the Bastards" class). It ended up at the Supreme Court as U.S. v. SCRAP.

Despite his bizarre ideas (or maybe because of them), Bazhaf is more innovative than 99 percent of the lawyers out there. I think he is wrong most of the time, but the possible success of Bazhaf and his oddball theories should not be underestimated.