Mississippi bill would ban obese from eating out

Posted on Feb 1st 2008 3:23PM by Bethany Sanders

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements

Imagine heading out to dinner with your partner or family, only to be asked to step on a scale and then turned away because you're BMI is over 30. That's what eating out in Mississippi might be like if Representative W.T. Mayhall, Jr. gets his bill passed. The bill would require that people who are obese, as defined by the state, be banned from being served in restaurants. It would also require that restaurant owners keep records of customers BMIs.

According to Junkfood Science, Mayhall authored the bill in all seriousness, although he doesn't believe it will pass. Claiming the "need for government action" in response to the obesity crisis, Mayhall apparently believes that shame and embarrassment will help people take better care of their health.

I think this falls squarely in the "they can't be serious" category. What do you think?

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Tags: BMI, diet and weight loss, DietAndWeightLoss, eating out, EatingOut, Mississippi, obesity

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 26)

Susan 2-01-2008 @ 4:41PM

There is no possible way this bill would ever pass. I am a very healthy thin person and even i completely find offense to this. To suggest such a thing, tho admitting it probably wont pass, is completely wrong.

cheastarr 2-01-2008 @ 9:12PM

This is freaking stupid to think that anyone has this kind of right. This dictator needs to have his head examined.

Josh 2-01-2008 @ 10:15PM

I think this bill should pass, but maybe in places like mcdonalds and burger king where the obesity rate from eating there food is prevelant and proven in studies. Remember the family sueing mcdonalds for making them fat? Why should a restaraunt be forced to serve a customer, only to regret it when they get a law suit filed against them. The idea is right, but not in places that serve healthy foods. Maybe a different, healthier menu for these obese citizens ?

Tammy 2-04-2008 @ 7:31PM

In some cases, it has nothing to do with a person's eating, it has to do with injuries to the body precluding people from exercising, in combination with things like fibromyalgia, neurologic pain, plantar fasciitis - all in all - this is discrimination and no one has the right to dictate to anyone whether they can go out and eat or not. If this bill gets passed, I will be the first person in line to do a class action suit against the State of Mississippi and the blithering idiot who wrote the bill. Shame on those who support this.

ash 2-02-2008 @ 1:36AM

omg this bill would make people want to go home and just kill themselves from embarrassment. turning someone away cause they are too fat is rediculous. it'll make people go home eat whatever they can find because they will be sad and depressed and eat their feelings to the point where they will just want to die...thats so not cool! wat is this world coming to??? maybe if resturants didn't fucking deep fry and dip everything in grease we wouldn't have this much of an issue!!!!! blame the resturants not the people. once you gain weight you have no clue how hard it is to loose it again.

Yvonne 2-02-2008 @ 3:03AM

No wonder this idiot wants to ban fat people from eating out. He is a retired salesman from the pharmaceutical industry. He probably still has a stake in all of the weight loss snake oil that those companies try to push off on all of us each year.

Shame on him and anyone that tries to control another person. Too bad we can't put a stop to insenstivity and stupidity. That would keep 95% of the a**holes at home, including this backwoods butthead.

Craig 2-02-2008 @ 4:14AM

I agree this bill is silly, but if the intention is to get the government involved in helping people to get fit...it has done its job. I live in Asia and you don't see many obese people. In fact, I have been living here for 3 years and I have not seen 1 'obese' person. What does this tell you? People.....it's in the food!!!!!!

angie 2-01-2008 @ 4:52PM

Perfect. And have the restaurant get some gyn equipment so the fat person can work out while the others are eating.

mojoe182 2-01-2008 @ 8:17PM

THAT'S AWESOME!!! SO MAYBE WHILE THE FAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING OUT AND THE THIN PEOPLE ARE EATING. YOU COULD TAKE SPELLING LESSONS !!! LOOK IN THE MIRROR BEFORE YOU POINT OUT OTHER PEOPLES PROBLEMS.

april 2-01-2008 @ 8:31PM

Yeah, That is a brilliant idea! So that while they are watching you eat, they can pump up and catch you on the way out the door and beat your stupid ass for ya!! great idea angie, you moron...

D. Lagos 2-01-2008 @ 9:08PM

We need to remember each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

Elizabeth 2-02-2008 @ 3:00AM

I think Angie was just being sarcastic. Someone else said that people get fat sometimes from physical problems like fibromyalgia, an accident, pregnancy later in life, etc, but I even am coming to understand how MSG and artificial sweeteners make us fat, not just bad food. (Don't say I am wrong before you google it). It would be completely wrong to refuse to serve someone, but it would be great if we could get to the bottom of why we get fat. I am trying Cosmic Energy Stones from www.globallight.net (use them over and over in our water). I just got mine today, so can't say how they've worked for me yet. We can balance our pH and hydrate ourselves, and our bodies will take care of the rest.

Richard 2-01-2008 @ 5:41PM

Do they really think restaurant owners are going to let this pass? Who do they think all of their profits come from?

Bianca 2-01-2008 @ 10:59PM

Uummmm...maybe..people who don't want to cook??!

Carmen 2-02-2008 @ 5:57AM

Richard you are soo right!!
They can't dictate how we spend our money, and they will loose a lot of business. The oil that's used should be non-fattening, like olive oil.
After all we can't all be slim. Let us to decide when/how we will loose out extra pounds.

mike 2-01-2008 @ 5:47PM

That is outrageous! Fat people feel bad enough, being refused service is no way to have them lose weight!

Lisa 2-01-2008 @ 6:39PM

That's ridiculous. Obesity isn't a crime- the government doesn't (or at least shouldn't) have the authority to tell me what I can and cannot put into my body (at least while "food" remains a legal substance, but that's another story....) "Government action" should be restricted to a police force, army, and....that's about it. Even if you do endorse this kind of paternalistic nonsense, it certainly violates that whole concept of "equality under the law." Maybe next there'll be a law that says tired people can't wake up before seven.....

Marian 2-02-2008 @ 12:28AM

Cigarettes aren't an illegal substance either,,,,but the government took the smokers rites away. I fear for the future generations,,,,,,,NAZI GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED !!!!

cb 2-02-2008 @ 1:01AM

Obesity is a crime, who do you thinks pays for the hospital bills that obesity causes. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint problems etc. My tax dollars. Why should I work hard to pay for people to sit home on disability and eat, watch tv and grow more fat. It is a government problem, healthcare in the US us everyones problem healthy or otherwise.

Kim 2-01-2008 @ 8:06PM

If it is going to go by someone's BMI, then does that mean bodybuilders will be banned also? Many of them have high BMIs, even though they have lower fat percentages. BMI is a flawed science, not the most accurate picture of a persons health.