Fighting "big fat"

MSNBC ^ | 7-29-02 | Peg Tyre

[Damocles]

“For years I ate fast food because it was efficient and cheap,” says Caesar Barber, 56, a maintenance worker with heart disease and the lead plaintiff in an anti-fast-food lawsuit filed in New York last week. “I had no idea I could be damaging my health.”

This fall, Northeastern University law professor Richard Daynard is holding a closed-door strategy session for nearly 100 lawyers interested in pressing similar claims against Big Fat,

“What changes have you made?” booms Ludwig, as a 226-pound 10-year-old squeezes into his small examining room. The boy proudly describes how he’s stopped eating cookies and slowed down on chips since his last visit.

[Damocles]

More unbelievable nonsense from the trial lawyers.

Here is an encouraging thought, there are currently more lawyers in law school then are in active practice now. Look for more and more absurdity as these new grads begin to look for a way to make a living.

[marvlus]

We need to get a class action lawsuit that pits us responsible people against the irresponsible. I'm looking for ideas on this. Anyone?

[Dakmar]

The legal system is rapidly becoming nothing more than a lottery for Jerry Springer rejects.

[Damocles]

How about a class action suit against all the trial lawyers who have forced business to treat customers like idiots by slapping "warning" stickers all over products.

WARNING: Do not use your lawn mower as a hedge trimmer (I swear to God this is on my Honda lawn mower manual)

[WyldKard]

“For years I ate fast food because it was efficient and cheap,” says Caesar Barber, 56, a maintenance worker with heart disease and the lead plaintiff in an anti-fast-food lawsuit filed in New York last week. “I had no idea I could be damaging my health.”

Caeser, you moron! Have you been living in a cave? Are you stoooopid? They publish the nutritional facts in little handouts easily obtainable at any of these places! And the media has been screaming about how bad this stuff is for you, for years! Didn't you maybe get curious and wonder why you were getting so fat, piggly wiggly?

Grrr..you know, when I was in college, I used to be like 6'2" and 240, and I ate fast food every day. Now I'm close to 210, a few years later. I've had to watch what I eat, and go to the gym a LOT just to get where I am now. But I've taken full responsibility for what I did to my own body, and what I'm doing to fix my bad eating habits of the past. I never blamed anyone for my predicament but myself.

I say lets get all these people together who want to do a class action lawsuit, and then ship them down to Antarctica. They aren't worthy of living in this country anymore. Same goes for people who show up on Jerry Springer...

[WyldKard]

How about a class action suit against all the trial lawyers who have forced business to treat customers like idiots by slapping "warning" stickers all over products.

Some unknown soul on IRC once said it best:

Stupidity is ruining this country. I'm not saying we should make it a capital crime and shoot people for being stupid. But we SHOULD remove the safety labels from everything, and let the problem solve itself.

[rickmichaels]

“For years I ate fast food because it was efficient and cheap.”

I guess this idiot never heard the phrase "You get what you pay for."

[marvlus]

WARNING: Do not use your lawn mower as a hedge trimmer (I swear to God this is on my Honda lawn mower manual)

Believe it or not, but I actually know I guy with 9.5 fingers that did that. When he told me what he did, I thought to myself, "To do that is stupid, but to admit to that is even more stupid". LOL!!!

[Sunshine Sister]

How about a class actions suit agains the lawyers? I could name a few that would qualify. The whole OJ team to start with. All the attorneys who sued big tobacco and gun makers is another group we could go after. Every member of the trial lawyers assoc. is logical since they are the bad guys. Any others?

[Dead Corpse]

I'm at 5' 10" and tip the scales at 252. Of course, I also bench 365, squat 405, ect... I eat at Burger King once a month or so. I've also known about the differences between healthy foods and junk food since I was five years old.

Are people really this effing dumb these days? Somehow I doubt it. More like they are trying to get one over on the system. Judges trying these cases showed through both plantiff and lawyer in jail until they lose the weight they're bitching about.

Anyone remember those "food pyramids" from the '60s and '70s? Maybe these people need one of 'em tatooed on the insides of their eyelids.

[Still Thinking]

How about a class actions suit agains the lawyers? I could name a few that would qualify. The whole OJ team to start with. All the attorneys who sued big tobacco and gun makers is another group we could go after. Every member of the trial lawyers assoc. is logical since they are the bad guys. Any others?

The only problem is: how would we win when all the best courtroom litigators are on the other side?? ;-)

[tracer]

"The only problem is: how would we win when all the best courtroom litigators are on the other side??"

Hint: Sammy "The Bull" Gravano.....

[rdwtic]

The way I look at this is: If these morons are to dumb to feed themselves properly, are unable to resist the advertising directed towards them, and make intelligent choices, why are they allowed to vote?

[Dimensio]

Hrmm...

I'm a college student. While I can afford to eat better, I'm incredibly lazy and unmotivated, so my eating habits are atrocious and I admittedly go to fast food resturaunts too often. I've also been leading a very sedentary lifestyle since 1999 (when I quit a job at a grocery store to work while sitting at a desk). I also have hypothyroidism, which reduces metabolism.

I'm 6' and my weight fluctuates between 180 and 190lbs. I manage this by not snacking so much (stopped devouring bags of Cheetos and Ruffles recently) and getting excercise when I can (unfortunately that's currently only once a week, but it's better than nothing).

I have no sympathy for people who whine about their weight problems and try to blame others. I live an unhealthy lifestyle AND I have a genuine medical condition that can contribute to obesity and I don't have problems.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Some one-liners:

This guy's philosophy: Give unto Caesar what ISN'T Caesar's.
The opposing counsel, in their opening statement: "We come to bury Caesar, not to settle for an undisclosed sum."
Hey, Caesar, maybe if you ate your eponymous salad instead of packing down the Big Macs and strawberry shakes, you wouldn't be in this mess!
New restaurant chain owned by this guy: Big Caesar's. Motto: Coronary! Coronary!

[Bob Mc]

"Stupidity is ruining this country. I'm not saying we should make it a capital crime and shoot people for being stupid. But we SHOULD remove the safety labels from everything, and let the problem solve itself."

This is one of my pet peves. I remove all warning labels from everything I own. They are an insult to my intelligence. They are a constant reminder of the masses of stupid people in America, who want somebody else to blame for their stupidity, such as the portly fellow in this article.

[supercat]

Anyone remember those "food pyramids" from the '60s and '70s? Maybe these people need one of 'em tatooed on the insides of their eyelids.

You mean the "four food groups", or the more recent carbohydrate-heavy "food pyramid"? There is a growing belief that the latter may bear significant responsibility for the increases in both obesity and diabetes over the last decade.

[blackbart.223]

"You mean the "four food groups", or the more recent carbohydrate-heavy "food pyramid"? There is a growing belief that the latter may bear significant responsibility for the increases in both obesity and diabetes over the last decade."

That my be, but slobbering down Big Macs with greasy french fries and a milk shake doesn't help the situation.

P.S. I wouldn't presume to tell anyone what to eat. But if they make the wrong choice, they shouldn't sue anyone.

[blackbart.223]

"The legal system is rapidly becoming nothing more than a lottery for Jerry Springer rejects."

It's been that way for some time.

[breakem]

"Here is an encouraging thought, there are currently more lawyers in law school then are in active practice now."

Mygawd! is this possible?