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Obesity Suit Against McDonald's Dismissed Literatedog - 23/01/2003 05:57:26 AM

"A major victory for the fast food industry?" How about a major victory for common sense and decent law. This suit was ridiculous from the outset. I'm thankful this judge had some sense.

OBESITY SUIT AGAINST MCDONALD'S DISMISSED
Wed January 22, 2003 01:51 PM ET
By Gail Appleson


NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a major victory for the fast food industry, a federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a widely watched suit in which McDonald's hamburgers and French fries were blamed for children's obesity.

US District Judge Robert Sweet said the plaintiffs, including a 14-year-old girl who is 4-foot-10 and 170 pounds, failed to show McDonald's Corp. products presented a danger unknown to consumers. He also cited concerns the case could "spawn thousands of similar 'McLawsuits"' against all types of restaurants.

"This opinion is guided by the principle that legal consequences should not attach to the consumption of hamburgers and other fast food fare unless consumers are unaware of the dangers of eating such food," Sweet said.

"If consumers know...the potential ill health effect of eating at McDonald's, they cannot blame McDonald's if they, nonetheless, choose to satiate their appetite with a surfeit of supersized McDonald's products."

Although the judge threw out the suit in its entirety, he ruled the plaintiffs could refile claims in Manhattan federal court within certain limits.

Sweet also said McDonald's had rightfully pointed out that the case was the first of its kind to reach this stage in federal court and could result in thousands of copycat cases.

The suit was brought on behalf of overweight children who ate at two McDonald's restaurants in the Bronx borough of New York City. The plaintiffs sought unspecified damages, blaming McDonald's for health problems that included diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.

The suit was one of at least four cases filed against McDonald's and other fast food chains over the obesity issue. At least two cases have been dropped and another is dormant.

The judge noted that Americans spend more than $110 billion on fast food each year, and cited studies showing that on any given day in the United States, almost one in four adults visits a fast-food restaurant.

"The potential for lawsuits is even greater given the numbers of persons who eat food prepared at other restaurants in addition to those serving fast food," Sweet said, citing reports that show almost half of the American food dollar is spent on food eaten away from home.

He said the court had a duty to "limit the legal consequences of wrongs to a controllable degree and to protect against crushing exposure to liability."




If It Makes You Happy

Frankly, I don't know why anybody listens to actors about anything other than acting. Since when does the ability to fake emotions on cue like a sociopath make one an expert on anything?

Obesity Suit Against McDonald's Dismissed




Obesity Suit Against McDonald's Dismissed
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Obesity Suit Against McDonald's Dismissed - 23/01/2003 05:57:26 AM 322 Views
as it should have been - 23/01/2003 06:01:33 AM 15 Views
Sense in a law court....about flamin' time *NM* - 23/01/2003 06:25:04 AM 3 Views
Good, it's so rare to see common sense from courts - 23/01/2003 06:49:14 AM 14 Views
yes, they will, count on it *NM* - 23/01/2003 06:50:34 AM 4 Views
aw... I don't know - 23/01/2003 07:11:13 AM 41 Views
Yes but pay because the parents are dribbling idiots? *NM* - 23/01/2003 07:19:19 AM 5 Views
as I said: - 23/01/2003 07:21:44 AM 39 Views
For a pacifist you seem very cruel *NM* - 23/01/2003 07:48:11 AM 4 Views
well.. yes - 23/01/2003 11:43:12 AM 15 Views
Poor defenceless, heartless McDonalds I'll protect you from... - 23/01/2003 12:06:31 PM 13 Views
LOL - 23/01/2003 12:10:00 PM 13 Views
That is a very hurtful thing to say, poor little mite *NM* - 24/01/2003 05:13:02 AM 4 Views
wow. that's disappointing - 23/01/2003 08:41:34 AM 24 Views
perhaps - 23/01/2003 11:44:26 AM 19 Views
It is - 23/01/2003 11:51:30 AM 17 Views
Re: It is - 23/01/2003 12:03:15 PM 14 Views
Unfotunately, - 23/01/2003 12:26:26 PM 14 Views
I guess I see your point - 23/01/2003 12:28:27 PM 15 Views
*cared* *NM* - 23/01/2003 12:49:09 PM 3 Views
what I meant was - 23/01/2003 01:51:10 PM 11 Views
That's rather sad *NM* - 23/01/2003 11:29:25 AM 6 Views
that may very well be - 23/01/2003 11:45:17 AM 16 Views
Re: It is - 23/01/2003 03:51:43 PM 14 Views
well... - 24/01/2003 04:29:54 AM 7 Views
Out of curiosity... - 23/01/2003 12:53:22 PM 17 Views
where to start - 23/01/2003 01:54:07 PM 17 Views
Errr... - 24/01/2003 12:50:38 PM 6 Views
err? - 24/01/2003 01:00:16 PM 11 Views
Bleh - 25/01/2003 04:52:23 PM 7 Views
thank you - 26/01/2003 03:07:19 AM 8 Views
Rainforests - 27/01/2003 04:56:20 AM 8 Views
yes THAT was it - 27/01/2003 05:10:20 AM 8 Views
Why would you want Mcdonalds to pay... - 23/01/2003 08:12:21 AM 22 Views
nope - 23/01/2003 11:46:52 AM 15 Views
good. it should go one step further - 23/01/2003 08:45:06 AM 23 Views
i wholeheartedly agree - 23/01/2003 03:41:09 PM 14 Views
There is only one downside - 24/01/2003 05:30:04 AM 8 Views
It really was quite stupid ... It could have led to anarchy - 23/01/2003 10:47:03 AM 8 Views
D@MN! - 23/01/2003 11:43:10 AM 24 Views
Double D@MN! - 23/01/2003 03:43:29 PM 11 Views
Good. Stupid, money grubbing people! *NM* - 23/01/2003 01:49:47 PM 5 Views
The same should have been said about smoking. *NM* - 23/01/2003 10:25:45 PM 4 Views
i completely agree with you *NM* - 23/01/2003 10:31:48 PM 4 Views
Yeah... because - 23/01/2003 10:40:49 PM 11 Views
But when you get people in their 40s or older saying... - 24/01/2003 05:27:00 AM 11 Views
I find a total disregard for human health and safety more repugnant. *NM* - 24/01/2003 02:18:18 PM 3 Views
That's not what I was saying. - 24/01/2003 11:22:22 PM 9 Views
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 24/01/2003 05:59:13 PM 9 Views
fast food sucks! *NM* - 01/02/2003 08:40:52 PM 2 Views