full storyJACKSON, Miss. — A state lawmaker wants to ban restaurants from serving food to obese customers — but please, don't be offended. He says he never even expected his plan to become law.
"I was trying to shed a little light on the number one problem in Mississippi," said Republican Rep. John Read of Gautier, who acknowledges that at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, he'd probably have a tough time under his own bill.
For those of you who don't know, Mississippi has an obesity rate of over 30%, among the highest in the world, and one of the lowest life expectancies in America.
Personally, I'm torn on this issue.
On one side, its obviously unconstitutional, even totalitarian, to bar someone from eating what they want, but on the other hand, these people present a serious draw on the healthcare system, and present a general inconveniance to the public (ever had to sit next to a fat guy on a bus?).
I'm sure the bill won't pass, but it raises the issue of how we should respond to the increasing number of obese Americans.
Do you think there should be some restrictions/penalties on people who cant provide a medical reason for their obesity? Should they have to pay higher taxes to offset the disproportionate amount of tax dollars they consume? Or should we just let them continue on their path to heart disease?
