The US House of Representatives was to take up yesterday a bill that would block so-called "frivolous" lawsuits that accuse fast-food chains and other segments of the food industry of causing obesity.
Bill backers said Tuesday they expect the legislation to pass the House, although it is not yet clear whether companion legislation will come up in the Senate this year.
The bill states that its aim is "to prevent frivolous lawsuits against the manufacturers, distributors or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products" that meet legal and sanitary standards.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay told reporters the legislation would prevent trial lawyers from mounting "Ronald McDonald made me do it" cases.
"If you eat a lot of food and get sick, it's your responsibility, not the restaurant's," said DeLay.
Bill sponsor Ric Keller said frivolous lawsuits would not make anybody thin, but would merely make trial attorneys' bank accounts fatter.
But George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf, a critic of the legislation, said courts throw lawsuits out if they are truly frivolous. People should have the right to their day in court, Banzhaf said.
The best-known case, which was filed by several teenagers against McDonald's, has been thrown out of federal court.
Keller's bill would protect makers, sellers and distributors of food and non-alcoholic beverages from obesity-related civil lawsuits in both state and federal courts. It would not affect lawsuits arising out of tainted foods or misleading labeling.
The legislation is part of a larger wave of mostly Republican-backed bills to curb lawsuits or limit legal damages. While some of these bills have passed the House, they often stall in the Senate.
The controversy comes among growing awareness of the public health implications of the trend toward obesity.
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