slacker Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Irregular News for 10.13.06 Somewhere -- I have a question for federal Judge Robert Sweet: If your own children blamed McDonald's for making them fat, would you buy it? I don't think so. Yet the judge has given the green light to a lawsuit against McDonald's by two teenaged girls who claim the popular fast-food chain tricked them into eating food that made them fat and sick. At first it looked as if this lawsuit was going to be pushed down the garbage disposal, but now it's back. What's going on? Three years ago, the girls accused McDonald's of deceptive advertising and selling unhealthy food. Judge Sweet dismissed the suit because the allegations were too vague. "Where should the line be drawn between an individual's own responsibility to take care of herself and society's responsibility to ensure others shield her?" he asked. "The complaint fails to allege the McDonald's products consumed by the plaintiffs were dangerous in any way other than that which was open and obvious to a reasonable consumer." But he invited the plaintiffs to re-file it with more specific information. Sure enough, they did, and last month, the judge ruled that the girls had identified to his satisfaction "40 deceptive ads" and "sufficiently described" the harm McDonald's food allegedly caused them: "obesity, hypertension and elevated levels of LDL cholesterol." Who knows what a jury will do when the lawyers play on its sympathy for the overweight girls. Whether McDonald's wins after a lengthy legal battle or loses and gets hit with a big damage award, you and I will pay through higher prices. Our choice of foods could even be limited if fast-food chains decide it's the only way to avoid future lawsuits. Au revoir, French fries? Are we a nation of responsible adults or children? I don't want government to be my Daddy any more than I want it to be my Big Brother. Whatever happened to self-responsibility? Sure, McDonald's commercials put the best spin on its products. All advertisers do that. Individuals should exercise caution, and parents should teach their kids a little skepticism. It's not as if information about nutrition is hard to come by. Today we're constantly harangued about cutting calories, reducing fat, and exercising more. McDonald's competitors, such as Subway, provide lots of counter-information. You'd have to live in a cave not to know about this stuff. Fast food doesn't have to make you fat. Soso Whaley of New Hampshire once ate only at McDonald's for a month. The result? Unlike the guy who did the "Super Size Me" documentary, Soso lost 10 pounds, and her cholesterol dropped 40 points. How? She didn't pig out. Low-carb dieters have lost weight at McDonald's by eating the burgers without the buns and skipping the fries. All this goes to show that anyone whose health was harmed by eating at McDonald's only has himself or herself to blame. To bloat himself up an individual has to choose to enter the restaurant on a regular basis, overeat an unbalanced diet, and fail to exercise. Should that person be able to pin his health problems on McDonald's? If so, where does it stop? You can get fat eating Girl Scout cookies or dining at expensive restaurants. Should we sue someone whenever we don't like the results of what we do? The consequence will be higher prices and fewer choices for consumers. If that's what our system of "justice" gives us, then something is badly wrong. I want lower prices and more choices. I'm not saying people shouldn't be able to sue a business when they have been harmed. But we should limit frivolous lawsuits the way the rest of the world does. The loser should have to pay the legal bills of the winner. It's only fair. It costs a lot of money to defend against a lawsuit, even a frivolous one. source Quote Link to comment
huskernumerouno Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 BLA BLA BLA. Come on AR dont tell me these girls have a chance of winning do they. Quote Link to comment
AR Husker Fan Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Why, certainly these poor victims have a chance of winning against the monolithic-like purveyor of harm-inducing food marketed at those members of society most vunerable to such duplicitous acts. Quote Link to comment
Roxy Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 If these girls get alot of money out of this lawsuit..I will be furious! Sure if someone ate at a restaruant and if they got food poisoning or something...I can see a lawsuit..but. when anybody sues over this..it is stupid period! People have the option of eating at a fast restaurant or not and they know the calories are there period! I was in a coma due to an accident and I had a case big time and the judge didn't let me get a cent until my lawyer told the place that was awarded the money..that he was going to appeal the judge's decision and they agreed to give me half of the money. A lawsuit that these girls are doing really pisses me off big time! Quote Link to comment
mbhusker13 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 People need to start blamind everyone else and look in the mirror! Sorry if I seem moody it's my birthday! I'm working till 7. :asshat Quote Link to comment
Redman Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I don't think they should get squat. Another stupid way to occupy the courts. On the other hand, have you seen how much it costs to eat healthy? I would eat healthy all of the time if it wouldn't send me to the poor house. Quote Link to comment
Hawkeyehusker Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 You know McDonnald's has stopped asking people if they want to super size. If they lose the law suit they'll just hire more illegals to keep their labor costs down. Quote Link to comment
HSKRNOKC Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 Why, certainly these poor victims have a chance of winning against the monolithic-like purveyor of harm-inducing food marketed at those members of society most vunerable to such duplicitous acts. YA!!!! What he said. Quote Link to comment
BIGREDIOWAN Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 Another excuse for thousands to use to explain why they are fat!!!! Quote Link to comment
HSKRNOKC Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 Allright maam, put the big mac down and slowly walk away. Quote Link to comment
AR Husker Fan Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 Allright maam, put the big mac down and slowly walk waddle away. Corrected for accuracy... Quote Link to comment
huskeraddict Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 Allright maam, put the big mac down and slowly walk waddle away. Corrected for accuracy... Quote Link to comment
huskernumerouno Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 Another excuse for thousands to use to explain why they are fat!!!! Quote Link to comment
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