2008-02-04 07:52:38 - The Coalition of Fat Rights Activists (COFRA) is calling on the state of Mississippi House of Representatives to withdraw a bill that would discriminate against obese people by restricting their right to dine in restaurants.

Mississippi House Bill 282 (HB 282) would prohibit restaurants with more than five seats from serving people determined to be obese. Restaurants that 'repeatedly- feed obese patrons would be subject to fines or closure.

'As a plan to quell the so-called ‘obesity epidemic,' this bill would have substantial and negative side effects on Mississippi's economy and health,- said Paul McAleer, COFRA president 'Anyone who supports human rights and freedoms should be opposing this bill - and any subsequent bill.-

CONTACT: Paul McAleer
paul@bigfatblog.com
www.fatrights.org
or
www.bigfatblog.com

Activists decry Mississippi bill discriminating against fat people

Chicago, IL - The Coalition of Fat Rights Activists (COFRA) is calling on the state of Mississippi House of Representatives to withdraw a bill that would discriminate against obese people by restricting their right to dine in restaurants.

Mississippi House Bill 282 (HB 282) would prohibit restaurants with more than

five seats from serving people determined to be obese. Restaurants that 'repeatedly- feed obese patrons would be subject to fines or closure. The definition of obesity would be determined by the state's health department.

The bill - introduced by Representative W.T. Mayhall, Jr., a retired pharmaceutical salesman with DuPont-Merk, and co-authored by Bobby Shows, a businessman and pharmacist John Read - would effectively legislate discrimination against people of size, said COFRA founder and president Paul McAleer.

'HB 282 is discriminatory towards fat people and due to the inaccuracy of the BMI its discrimination extends beyond people one would deem as ‘fat,'- said McAleer of Chicago, Ill.

The US Government defines an obese person as someone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above. While it is not yet clear whether Mississippi would use this measurement as a template to define 'obese,- similar standards would prohibit California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and actors Brad Pitt and George Clooney from dining in Mississippi establishments.

If passed into law, HB 282 would discriminate against about two-thirds of Mississippi residents considered overweight or obese, according to federal health data. Restricting and depriving people of food are not likely to affect these statistics, said McAleer.

'Diets are ineffective for weight loss but can actually be harmful to one's mental health and relationship with food,- he said. 'This bill is tantamount to a severe starvation diet.-

While COFRA lauded the intention to promote health and wellness, the Chicago-based organization maintains the focus of the three lawmakers is misguided.

Recent studies increasingly emphasize fitness, not fatness, to be the more important marker of good health. Mississippi has the highest rate of inactivity, with 31.6 percent of adults reporting that they do not engage in any physical activity, according to a study conducted last year by the Trust for America's Health.

'Wellness is not synonymous with weight-loss,- said COFRA member Rachel Richardson, of Cincinnati, Ohio. 'Lawmakers in Jackson ought focus their efforts not in restricting the freedom of mobility and choice for its citizens, but in campaigns promoting increased physical activity for all Mississippi residents.-

COFRA called on legislators to focus on other environmental issues adversely affecting the health of Mississippians. More than 16 percent of Mississippi residents earn less than $10,000 a year, with the state poverty rate around 20 percent, according to 2000 US Census reports.

'The biggest health risk facing American children today is not childhood obesity, its poverty,- said Richardson. 'Mississippi legislators would make better use of their time and taxpayer dollars by focusing on serious - not sensationalist - efforts to improve the health and quality of life for Mississippi residents.-

COFRA also urged leaders of the state's tourism industries to protest the bill. Tourism in Mississippi generates about 75,000 jobs and is critical to the state's recovery from Hurricane Katrina, said Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour in a December interview with local ABC station WLOX-TV.

'As a plan to quell the so-called ‘obesity epidemic,' this bill would have substantial and negative side effects on Mississippi's economy and health,- said McAleer. 'Anyone who supports human rights and freedoms should be opposing this bill - and any subsequent bill.-

COFRA calls upon Mississippi citizens and business leaders to protest the bill by contacting Mississippi Governor Barbour at 1-877-405-0733 or 601.359.3150, or by mail at: P.O. Box 139, Jackson, Mississippi 39205; or lead author Representative Mayhall, Jr. at 901-734-9540, or by mail at PO Box 1018, Jackson, Mississippi 39215, or by e-mail at tmayhall@house.ms.gov.

The mission of COFRA is to establish and defend equal rights and opportunities for all people regardless of weight or body size. COFRA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to eliminating weight-based discrimination and to providing people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education and activism, advocacy and member support.