Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich last week signed the Common Sense Consumption Act that bans obesity lawsuits against the food industry including fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s.
“Obesity is a serious problem in Illinois. But, blaming a restaurant for weight gain is not the answer,” said Gov. Blagojevich said in a statement. “By signing this law, we are promoting personal responsibility and common sense eating habits.”
Illinois now joins a growing number of states that are rushing to pass laws that protect the food industry from so-called “frivolous” lawsuits. The law prohibits consumers from filing a lawsuit against a restaurant for injury resulting from weight gain, obesity or any other related health condition.
“The purpose of this legislation is to stem the tide of frivolous law suits against fast food outlets and restaurants,” said Sen. Cullerton. “Obesity is not caused by the people who sell food, it is caused by the people who eat food. We must put the focus on healthier lifestyles and nutritional balance instead of costly lawsuits and litigation that only serve to clog up our courts and drive up the cost of a meal.”
However, the law does not exempt companies from state or federal laws concerning marketing, production or sale of food.
Nearly two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight and nearly one-third of adults are obese. In Illinois, the Centers of Disease Control reports six percent of all adults are obese and almost eight percent of Illinois Medicare recipients are obese.
The Common Sense Consumption Act comes after a federal judge last year in New York dismissed two highly publicized class action lawsuits against McDonald’s.
This year, Louisiana also a law similar to the Illinois’ Common Sense Consumption Act, and U.S. Congress is debating a similar measure dubbed the “Cheeseburger Bill.”
The Illinois Common Sense Consumption Act is effective on January 1st, 2005.
(via Illinois Government News Network)
4 responses so far ↓
Harley Johnson // Nov 10, 2004 at 3:46 pm
i am part of the year eight debating team at my school and our topic for state competition is that advetising does not destroy our self image. i agree that it is our responsibility to look after what we eat and how much damage i does. thank you for the information and keep up the good work
Araine Miranda // Dec 15, 2004 at 6:35 pm
I stongly agree with the Common Sense Consumption Act because I feel that it is common sense to now when to stop eating fast food because if your over eating of course your going to be obese. Thanks for the information its going to help me on my final exam for English.
brandi // Feb 16, 2005 at 8:40 pm
i think that when mcdonalds is advertising their meals they should advertise more the salads and not the greasy burgers. if they have so many people saying that their food is a cause of obesity then why wont they make a heart-healthy menu, they have a dollar menu for the people not wanting to pay for the whole meal why not have a menu for the people who dont want to pay for their doctor bills after they get clogged arteries.
Dale LeGrant // Apr 4, 2005 at 12:29 pm
The law passed in my native Illinois is a well made decision, and well based. The power of choice is available to everyone, and that includes yuor diet. The power to regulate diet and what you, a citizen, consumes is not the power of the government or the state, but rather you, the individual. (and presumably the responsible one) Our diets and the physical condition that follows is in the end, our decision.
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