Living Off the Fat of the Land

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

The Center for Consumer Freedom, an industry-funded front group, launched a $600,000 ad campaign decrying the "hype" around obesity. CCF's Mike Burita, who admitted that restaurant chains "are predominant sources of funding for us," said the group hopes the ads will put "pressure on the leadership of the CDC." A recent Centers for Disease Control study estimated 25,814 annual obesity-related deaths in the United States, down from earlier estimates of 365,000. "The science around computing mortality associated with obesity is still evolving," said a CDC spokesperson, adding that the two estimates "really can't" be compared. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that food industry lobbyists are "putting a full-court press on state legislatures and Congress to stop lawsuits that claim plaintiffs' weight problems are linked to the food they ate at a particular restaurant." These so-called "cheeseburger bills" have been enacted in 16 states, with 26 more considering similar measures.

Main Source: 
Reuters, April 26, 2005
Topics: 
Corporations
Health
Lobbying

Comments

Pani113 replied on

is my friend!!!! There are those is the size acceptance movement who lament that the Center for Consumer Freedom is getting involved in this issue. While my opinion of the later is hardly favorable, I say it is high time someone takes on the pharmaceutical companies. For years there have been health professionals who have questioned the automatic association between obesity and poor health. Their voices were stifled by both the pharmaceuticals who pay off journalists and a popular prejudice. No grass roots group has the power to stand up to a behemoth like the Robert Woods Johnson foundation who makes megabucks off antiobesity hysteria. I am glad both sides of the issue are coming out, let this debate at least be examined critically and fairly. And let the corporations go at it against each other and use up all their resources. Since all the benefits of moderate fatness have been suppressed, this may be one war which benefits a more balanced exhange of information.