The McDonalds thing. And it actually isn't just McDonalds -- the whole food industry is shaking in its boots after the Tobacco suit. But here's the deal with the legal precident: the money from the tobacco suit was actually recovered to compensate the States for the money they pays to treat ill smokers on Medicaid. The tobacco industry made money on ill health -- it is estimated that for every $3 profit they make, about $6-8 will be spent on future health care costs.
What's the parallel? The food insustry also spends a great deal of money marketing a product to encourage eating habits that cause overweight/obesity -- and given the reduction in smoking, overweight/obesity threatens to become the #1 contibutor to preventible death & disease.
Obviously, no one's saying "stop eating." And the individual law suits probably aren't going anywhere. But at the same time, if you use the same logic -- industry can be held responsible for causing the states to spend excessive Medicaid funds on disease burden contributed by overweight/obesity... well, lets just say that there is a reason McDonalds cut out transfat and their coming out with healthier oreos and smaller sized snack packs. It will be interesting to see what happens voluntarily within the industry and what takes legal action.
Second quibble: straight pride? Since when has beening straight not been showered with societal approval so that we _need_ straight pride t-shirts? The bridal-industrial complex alone (which scared me even as I partook) illustrates that everyone and their brother is just way too eager to celebrate the creation of a new nuclear family. In the meanwhile, every conservative politician -- incluiding Bushie himself-- is defending said state against the repercussions of Lawrence vs. Texas. Because god help us if we get that inclusive...
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timeasmymeasure
Two quibbles...
Date: 2003-07-31 12:43 pm (UTC)What's the parallel? The food insustry also spends a great deal of money marketing a product to encourage eating habits that cause overweight/obesity -- and given the reduction in smoking, overweight/obesity threatens to become the #1 contibutor to preventible death & disease.
Obviously, no one's saying "stop eating." And the individual law suits probably aren't going anywhere. But at the same time, if you use the same logic -- industry can be held responsible for causing the states to spend excessive Medicaid funds on disease burden contributed by overweight/obesity... well, lets just say that there is a reason McDonalds cut out transfat and their coming out with healthier oreos and smaller sized snack packs. It will be interesting to see what happens voluntarily within the industry and what takes legal action.
Second quibble: straight pride? Since when has beening straight not been showered with societal approval so that we _need_ straight pride t-shirts? The bridal-industrial complex alone (which scared me even as I partook) illustrates that everyone and their brother is just way too eager to celebrate the creation of a new nuclear family. In the meanwhile, every conservative politician -- incluiding Bushie himself-- is defending said state against the repercussions of Lawrence vs. Texas. Because god help us if we get that inclusive...