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 Fast-food chains face obesity lawsuit.
2002-08-07
A man who developed excessive weight gain through decades of fast-food consumption has launched a class action lawsuit against four leading restaurant chains over the clarity of labelling. Caesar Barber, who has suffered two heart attacks, claimed; “I didn’t find out how bad it was until 1999,” and oddly “I thought because it said 100% beef it was ok.” The companies named in the case, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King and Wendy’s have all publicly stated nutritional and ingredient information for years, however the suit claims that specific information such as calorie and sodium content was not freely available or clearly stated. A restaurant industry source has called the claim “absolutely baseless”, whilst nutritional groups have shown support, claiming lifestyles involving regular fast-food consumption have contributed to America’s high levels of obesity. Should Mr Barber win the lawsuit, a barrage of similar claims is expected in various countries. Looking to capitalise early on the case, Subway, who also run the Blimpie chain, have begun labelling nutritional information comparisons between their products and McDonalds burgers.
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