McDonald's Disputes Obesity Suit

[ebenz47037]

NEW YORK (Nov. 21) - Are Big Macs hazardous to children's health?

Lawyers have filed a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's on behalf of New York children who have suffered health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

In federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, a lawyer alleged that the fast-food chain has created a national epidemic of obese children. Samuel Hirsch argued that the high fat, sugar and cholesterol content of McDonald's food is ''a very insipid, toxic kind of thing'' when ingested regularly by young kids.

The plaintiffs include a Bronx teen who ate every meal at McDonald's for three years while living in a homeless shelter. Another is a 13-year-old boy from Staten Island who says he ate at McDonald's food three to four times a week and is now 5-foot-4 and 278 pounds.

McDonald's lawyer Brad Lerman insisted the lawsuit was a frivolous attempt to cash in on the Golden Arches, ''the kind of lawsuit that shouldn't be in court.''

''People don't go to sleep thin and wake up obese,'' Lerman said. ''The understanding and comprehension of what hamburgers and french fries do has been with us for a long, long time.''

McDonald's has asked Judge Robert Sweet to dismiss the case, arguing those who filed the claims cannot show their health woes were caused by Big Macs and insisting the company has never misled customers about its food. The judge did not immediately rule on the request.

AP-NY-11-21-02 0856EST

Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

[Pilgrimagain]

That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. McDonalds publishes the nutritional information of their food right out in public for anyone to read and will provide copies to any one who asks in full accordance with Fed. regs. If one doesn't know that McDonalds food is not health food then that is the individuals fault. Even the kid in the shelter had access to the food at the shelter rather than McD's.

This sort of law suit ticks me off because we the public are footing the bill for it. I think we should file a class action suit against this lawyer for wasting tax dollars.

[\o/\o/]

The case should be thrown out by the judge.
I don't mind our attention on the fact that fast-food restaurants are interested only in $$$, not in anyone's health.

McCancer, anyone?

[Pilgrimagain]

Really? McD's has caused cancer in people?

[ebenz47037]

The reason I posted this is because I think it's patently ridiculous. People should be held responsible for their own health, whether they're obese from eating fast food all the time or they have cancer from smoking. These people have the choice to eat McDonald's or not eat McDonald's or to smoke cigarettes or not smoke.

But, with the direction this country's been going the last few years, I knew that this was coming. Personally, I think that the judge should throw the case out. In the case of the children involved in the lawsuit, their parents (or other adult responsible for them) are responsible for the way they eat. My daughter and I periodically eat out at a fast food joint, but it's not more than once or twice a month.

[Yxboom]

What bothers me the most is that a homeless child can afford to eat at McD's. That shows me a great problem. It is cheaper to eat food that'll kill yourself than to get food with nutritonal value ergo let the poor eat to their death while the rich eat to their health.

[Knight]

I am still waiting for the "McFish Taco".

[Yxboom]

Ray Croc is turning in his grave over that last sentiment.

[Knight]

Originally posted by Yxboom
Ray Croc is turning in his grave over that last sentiment. That's a croc.

[Poly]

Puhleeezzee!!!

Next thing you know they'll be suing the makers of various children's programs because they kept their kids from getting out and excercising! :rolleyes:

[Yxboom]

I have a class action in mind :noid:

[ebenz47037]

Your Honor, it's not my fault that my kids' obese. Just because I take them to McDonald's everyday for dinner instead of cooking nutritious meals for them. And, just because I let them stay inside all day watching television or playing on the computer instead of making them go outside and play. It's all McDonald's fault because they make it convenient for me to just get dinner there instead of cooking. It's all ABC's fault for making interesting children's shows so my kids don't want to go outside and play. Your Honor, for doing this, these companies should give me ten million dollars. And, while you're at it, you should make a law that the government has to tell us about these things because you know that us ordinary people cannot think for ourselves.

[Poly]

Ummm.... yeah judge..what she said!!!

[ebenz47037]

Originally posted by Polycarpadvo
Ummm.... yeah judge..what she said!!!

LOL! I'm glad you took that the right way. I know too many people (online and off) that would think I was serious.

[Yxboom]

I think McD's should be sued by myself for a few hundred million so that they would be hurting financially as a franchise chain that they couldn't afford to make their food so cheap and that would help goad people to eat more nutritiously. I am a selfless philanthropist of sorts I know.

[Poly]

yeah.. I mean ya gotta ask yourself.. what kind of food is used in a hamburger that costs (49 cents? I think)

WOOOHOO!!! WILD OATS!!! Now there's ya some food!!!
Does a body good.

[Pilgrimagain]

Let's all head over to White Castle!

[ebenz47037]

Originally posted by Pilgrimagain
Let's all head over to White Castle!

Your treat, right?

[\o/\o/]

Big Mac -----> heart attack?
Quarter Pounder with cheese -----> coronary heart disease?
Egg McMuffin -----> costly coffin?
Salty fries -----> graveside?

Christians are becoming vegetarian for several inter-related reasons:
http://www.christianveg.com/more.htm

[ebenz47037]

Originally posted by \o/\o/
Big Mac -----> heart attack?
Quarter Pounder with cheese -----> coronary heart disease?
Egg McMuffin -----> costly coffin?
Salty fries -----> graveside?

Christians are becoming vegetarian for several inter-related reasons:
http://www.christianveg.com/more.htm

McDonald's coffee ----> $6 million because you spilled it

[Knight]

Big Mac -----> pretty good
Quarter Pounder with cheese -----> very good
Egg McMuffin -----> I like them with bacon
Salty fries -----> the bomb!!!

[ebenz47037]

Only thing I like at McDonald's is their milkshakes. I used to work there and will never eat there again

[\o/\o/]

Where's the lawsuit against KFC or DQ?

"There's Fast Food. Then There's KFC."
(Kentucky Fat Children)

"DQ Something Different!"
(Dead Quick)

[\o/\o/]

Check out BK's fine print - they want to avoid a lawsuit from vegetarians, unlike McDonalds (over their old French fries with beef fat)

http://www.burgerking.com/BigKids/index.html
At the bottom:Burger King Corporation makes no claim that the BK VEGGIE™ Burger or any other of its products meets the requirements of a vegan or vegetarian diet.

BK
(Bulging Kids)

[firechyld]

That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. McDonalds publishes the nutritional information of their food right out in public for anyone to read and will provide copies to any one who asks in full accordance with Fed. regs. If one doesn't know that McDonalds food is not health food then that is the individuals fault. Even the kid in the shelter had access to the food at the shelter rather than McD's.



The problem is that they don't. As \o/\0/ implied, McD's is currently in a lot of trouble and battling a class action suit from a bunch of Hindus and vegetarians because they were stupid enough to put in writing, repeatedly, that their fries are vegetarian safe and contain no beef tallow. When it came out that this was a lie, the people suing them had a bunch of documentation.

firechyld

[aldeha]

Actually, I am considering suing the persons suing McDonalds for jeopardizing my fat-loaded Quarter Pounder. Yeah, I like McDonalds, but that doesn't mean that I should eat every meal there!
Moderation is the key!

[bibliophile1954]

Originally posted by \o/\o/
Big Mac -----> heart attack?
Quarter Pounder with cheese -----> coronary heart disease?
Egg McMuffin -----> costly coffin?
Salty fries -----> graveside?

Christians are becoming vegetarian for several inter-related reasons:
http://www.christianveg.com/more.htm

Sorry, but there is NO WAY that I could EVER become a vegetarian! I once went a week without meat, & by the end of the week, I was crawling the walls!! Although for burgers-give me WENDY"S anyday! I Do agree that the courts are way too clogged up with totally stupid lawsuits like this! (SEE my thread in the CURRENT EVENTS FORUM- LOSING OUR FREEDOMS!)