| The U.S. House of Representatives
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| | person's consumption of legal,
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| recently passed a bill that protects
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| | unadulterated food is associated with
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| fast-food chains from being sued by
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| | the person's weight gain or obesity."
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| people who claim the food made them fat.
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| | No, The Cheeseburger Bill is Unnecessary
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| If the bill, the "Personal
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| | Those who are against the bill say
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| Responsibility in Food Consumption Act" -
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| | fast-food companies should be held
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| better known in Congress as the
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| | accountable for selling harmful products,
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| "cheeseburger bill" -- is made into law,
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| | and passing the bill would unfairly give
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| obesity-related lawsuits against both
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| | restaurants and food manufacturers
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| restaurants and food manufacturers would
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| | special rights.
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| be banned. (Legal action could still be
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| | "Congress has allowed the need of big
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| taken if contaminated food makes a person
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| | corporations before the need of our
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| sick.)
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| | children," said Rep. Bob Filner,
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| To date, a handful of lawsuits have been
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| | D-California.
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| filed that blame restaurant food and
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| | Further, they say courts are functioning
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| advertising for obesity. Only one such
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| | fine without the bill and dismissing
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| case -- filed in 2002 and alleging that
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| | cases that sound frivolous. Passing the
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| McDonald's misleading advertising caused
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| | bill could give food manufacturers free
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| teens in New York to eat too much of the
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| | reign to produce any type of product.
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| food and become obese -- remains open.
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| | Bill opponents point out that obesity is
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| Yes, We Need The Cheeseburger Bill ...
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| | a major problem facing the nation, with
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| The bill passed 306 to 120 in the House -
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| | close to two-thirds of U.S. adults and
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| -the second time they've passed the
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| | 15 percent of children now overweight.
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| bill. The same bill was passed back in
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| | Some 30 percent of adults are considered
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| March 2004 but not acted upon in the
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| | obese.
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| Senate. About 20 states have already
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| | "Congress is headed in the wrong
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| passed similar legislation.
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| | direction with this bill, which removes
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| Bill proponents say it's a person's own
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| | any and all incentives for the food
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| responsibility to choose what they do
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| | industry to improve the healthiness of
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| and do not eat, and such matters don't
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| | their products," says Rep. Bob Filner,
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| belong in court.
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| | D-Calif.
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| "As one judge put it, if a person knows
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| | Meanwhile, McDonald's isn't waiting for
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| or should know that eating copious
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| | the bill to become law before they take
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| orders of super-sized McDonald's products
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| | some responsibility of their own. The
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| is unhealthy and could result in weight
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| | fast-food giant announced that beginning
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| gain, it is not the place of the law to
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| | in 2006 they will be including nutrition
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| protect them from their own excesses,"
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| | facts information on most of their
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| said Rep. James Sensenbrenner,
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| | fast-food packages. l">
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| R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House
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| | Please Let Us Know What YOU Think!
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| Judiciary Committee.
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| | Select answers will be published in the
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| "We should not encourage lawsuits that
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| | forthcoming issue of the
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| blame others for our own choices and
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| | e-newsletter!* *NOTE: Your answer, or an
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| could bankrupt an entire industry," Rep.
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| | excerpt thereof, may be published in a
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| Lamar Smith, R-Texas noted.
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| | forthcoming issue of the e-newsletter and
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| The Whitehouse also backs the bill and
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| | on the website. By submitting your
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| said in a statement, "Food
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| | answer you authorize this. Please
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| manufacturers, marketers, distributors,
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| | include your name and your city state (or
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| advertisers and sellers should not be
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| | country) location to be included in the
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| held liable for injury because a
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| | publication of select answers!
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