2008-06-20 18:55:15 - A Virginia man has shown that it is possible to lose 80 pounds in just six months by eating nothing by McDonald's foods, but this approach only became possible as a result of major menu changes at the Golden Arches triggered in large part by fat law suits, says public interest law professor John Banzhaf, the man who launched the first fat law suits -- ten of which have now been successful -- including a multi-million dollar victory over McDonald's and a major role in the movie "Super Size Me."

"Before my law students and I brought the first of the now ten successful fat law suits, McDonald's had no healthy low-calorie entrees, and no desserts other than high-cal pies which usually burned your mouth.

Shortly after the law suits and the publicity about the law suits began, McDonald's introduced healthier entrees like salads and wraps, and healthier dessert options

like yogurt and apple slices, exactly the foods Chris Coleson relied upon to lose 80 pounding in six months."

McDonald's also began providing more information about the calories in each meal by going beyond its Internet listing, and providing the information also in brochures, on wall charts, and ultimately even on its paper tray covers.

This makes it easier for people like Chris to choose healthier food items. Such calorie disclosures are now required -- also on menu boards -- in New York City

Amid the publicity about the movie "Super Size Me," McDonald's agreed to drop its supersizing policy.

Also, apparently in response to a federal judge's characterization of its Chicken McNuggets as a "McFrankenstein creation" containing far more calories and fat than most people would suspect, McDonald's reformulated this one existing menu item -- and only this one existing menu item -- to reduce its calorie and fat content.

McDonald's was forced to settle two different fat law suits for a total of over $20 million dollars, and a third widely-discussed class action law suit seeking to hold them responsible for contributing to the obesity of minors has been upheld by four different federal judges and is still pending.

Two new fat class action law suits seek unspecified damages have just been filed.

"It's great that fat law suits, publicity, public pressures, and new laws have now forced McDonald's and many other fast food chains -- which collectively have been found to be responsible for more than sixty percent of the current epidemic of obesity -- to make enough changes that it is possible to eat sensibly and even lose weight.

Unfortunately, the great majority of food offerings at McDonald's as well as its competitors, still contain so many excess calories that those who eat their frequently are more likely to wind up like Morgan Spurlock in 'Super Size Me' (who gained 25 pounds in 30 days) than Chris Coleson," says Banzhaf.

PROFESSOR JOHN F. BANZHAF III
Professor of Public Interest Law
George Washington University Law School
FAMRI Dr. William Cahan Distinguished Professor
FELLOW, World Technology Network
2013 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA
(202) 659-4312 // (703) 527-8418
banzhaf.net