News

Anti-obesity group mulls lawsuit strategies

September 21, 2004

The Washington Times: BOSTON — A single lawsuit against the food industry is not enough to reduce the number of overweight and obese Americans, according to panelists at a weekend health law conference.

It will take numerous suits, federal laws and government regulations sweeping across the food and several nonfood industries to make a significant impact.

That message was the underlying theme for the conference on legal approaches to obesity that commenced here on Sept. 19, sponsored by the Public Health Advocacy Institute. The second annual conference, made up of trial lawyers, dietitians and public-health advocates, follows a year in which several obesity-related suits have been filed against food manufacturers and fast-food chains.

"We know that litigation ultimately wins," said George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf III, one of the leaders for the obesity lawsuits. But Mr. Banzhaf pushed the 90 or so participants at Sherman Hall at Northeastern University yesterday to think beyond suing the food industry.

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