http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/ ... 6858.shtml

House Passes 'Cheeseburger' Bill

Oct. 19, 2005
(CBS/AP)

Fast Fact

Goldfield's team struck a bargain with kids about TV time and physical activity. All they needed were pedometers -- little devices that count steps taken and distance walked or run.

(WebMD) Overweight Americans who blame fast food restaurants for causing their obesity won't get their day in court if the U.S. House of Representatives gets its way.

House lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill banning obesity-related lawsuits against restaurants and food manufacturers. More than 20 states already have such laws on the books.

Supporters said the bill was intended to prioritize personal responsibility among an increasingly obese American population.

"The bill seeks to block lawsuits by people because they ate too much and got fat," says Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, one of the bill's sponsors.

"We should not encourage lawsuits that blame others for our own choices and could bankrupt an entire industry," notes Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.

Fast-Food Fights

Still, there is little evidence that obesity lawsuits are threatening the food and restaurant industry. Only a handful of cases blaming restaurant food or advertising for obesity have ever been filed, and only one major case remains open.

That's a case first filed in 2002 alleging that misleading advertising by McDonald's restaurants influenced New York teenagers to eat too much of the food and become obese. If Wednesday's bill â€â€