The Nanny State: Watching Your Waistline
Things must be rather slow in the Mississippi state House of Representatives, judging by a recent asinine legislative proposal that would make it illegal for restaurants to serve obese customers.
Yes, you read that right: there would be no food for fat folks in the Magnolia State, if three state representatives have their way.
The bill proposes that the state’s health department establishes weight criteria after consulting with Mississippi’s Council on Obesity. These criteria would then be supplied to all restaurants so they could decide who not to serve.
Can you imagine going to Chilis or Applebee’s and being asked to stand on a scale before they decide whether you can come in? Or being the person whose job it is to tell someone, “Sorry, sir, but I think you might be a bit too fat for our food. Mind stepping on the scale? But… um… would you please set your baseball bat down first?”
Apparently, there aren’t too many people seriously expecting this bill to become law, but that hasn’t stopped the tax-payer funded governmental peons from wasting legislative time crafting and lobbying for it.
Seriously, if Mississippi is interested in helping its citizens shed pounds, I’d suggest they first start by jettisoning the three representatives behind this bill.
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What are the truckdrivers going to do? Since my experience with Mississippi is strictly I-20 on my way to GA and SC, I think if they pass this they are going to be looking at a few truckstops going out of business!
Donna B.’s last blog post..Viable People?
Instead of discriminating against obese people, how about they make a law to make restaurants disclose their nutrition information?
And before banning obese people, I’d rather have a ban on smoker, and hey, a ban on alcoholics anywhere they serve alcohol! Those make more sense. But that won’t happen of course.
“But… um… would you please set your baseball bat down first?”
Yep, most professional athletes have BMI over 30: seems BMI does not consider muscle mass/tone - one of the reasons it is [officially] a guideline, not a diagnosis.
Truckdrivers, tourists, sports figures…
No, it won`t pass - this time.
Nor is it the only idiocy, as witness NYCity:
http://volokh.powerblogs.com/a.....1201736874
Uh, does that include Radon detectors? Smoke detectors?
I’d rather have a ban on smokers, and hey, a ban on alcoholics anywhere they serve alcohol! Those make more sense.
Holy crap, are you trying to ruin my freaking life???
Maybe we should set an IQ standard. If your intelligence score is below a certain level then you forfeit your right to make decisions about food or anything else. Perhaps a better solution may be to ban anyone from public office in Miss.- or elsewhere for that matter - whose cognitive ability has been compromised by inbreeding. Hey that solution solves both issues.
Bryan’s last blog post..Throw Paper
On that note, Bryan, there are some British politicians who believes that persons born with severe disabilities shouldn’t be considered “viable” people. (Slink via Donna.
I’m speechless.
Chelle’s last blog post..Urgent! Family Needs Your Help!
Ages ago I had to be weighed (and I was very skinny then) before boarding a Puerto Rican Airlines (Prinair, I think was the name) flight. I wondered if this was some kind of way St. Barts made sure only the beautiful people were on its beaches. I swear there was duct tape holding in my windows and goats on board that flight. But I’ll never forget my anxiety when I saw the scale (which was even greater than the anxiety when I saw the duct tape, stupidly).
This bill won’t pass. But maybe we should all go out to an all-you-can-eat place in Mississippi and have a look around.
You want to see something else scary? Go to an all-you-can-eat place outside of Parris Island, S.C., when the marines from the base are allowed to go out to eat. Those guys could decimate the whole food section at a super Wal-Mart.
I’ve added nothing to this discussion but I’ve enjoyed visiting. Thanks for the info. — I hadn’t heard about this bill!
My husband’s one of those who can decimate an all-you-can-eat buffet, too. He loves those places because he feels they’re basically issuing a challenge to see just how much is “all he can eat”.
Let’s just say that over the years I’ve learned to bring along a book whenever we go to one of those joints.
Everytime I read this article, I end up cursing under my breath. These scumbag nannies should be recalled yesterday, as well as any of these asshats who enact these smoking bans, foie gras, banning of certain oils, etc. To my govt overloads, stop acting like nannies and treat the people who voted for you like adults, you stupid (blanking) scumbags.
Absolutely! They can have my foie gras, cigarettes and vodka the instant they’re willing to come get them from me and my Smith & Wesson.
Meanwhile, I’ve been getting a chuckle out of the latest news that shows smokers and fatties cost less in medical care than healthy, skinny types.