FOR REAL!?!?!?!?

HOUSE BILL NO. 282

An act to prohibit certain food establishments from serving food to any person who is obese, based on criteria prescribed by the state department of health; to direct the department to prepare written materials that describe and explain the criteria for determining whether a person is obese and to provide those materials to the food establishments; to direct the department to monitor the food establishments for compliance with the provisions of this act; and for related purposes. Be it enacted by the legislature of the state of Mississippi

SECTION 1.

(1) The provisions of this section shall apply to any food establishment that is required to obtain a permit from the State Department of Health under Section 41-3-15(4)(f), that operates primarily in an enclosed facility and that has five (5) or more seats for customers.

(2) Any food establishment to which this section applies shall not be allowed to serve food to any person who is obese, based on criteria prescribed by the State Department of Health after consultation with the Mississippi Council on Obesity Prevention and Management established under Section 41-101-1 or its successor. The State Department of Health shall prepare written materials that describe and explain the criteria for determining whether a person is obese, and shall provide those materials to all food establishments to which this section applies. A food establishment shall be entitled to rely on the criteria for obesity in those written materials when determining whether or not it is allowed to serve food to any person.

(3) The State Department of Health shall monitor the food establishments to which this section applies for compliance with the provisions of this section, and may revoke the permit of any food establishment that repeatedly violates the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2008.

In case you didn't want to read through all of that - the State of Mississippi is seriously trying to pass a law (it's not a joke) that will keep people who are obese (according to some standard set by some people somewhere) from eating out.

I am more than a little annoyed by this. An no, it is not a joke or some internet rumor. This is real.

I would love to be 5'9" and 125lbs (no, not really - I've seen myself as a size 6 and it wasn't pretty. I looked like bones trying to up and walk by themselves). Alas, I am 5'9 and much, much more than 125lbs. However, I am healthy and happy! I exercise because it feels good, not because I have some desire to magically shed pounds. I eat healthy because it makes me feel good! I have more energy and am happier when I'm putting good things into my body. Oddly enough, this has not made me stick thin. I doubt it ever will. I honestly doubt I will ever fall into the "normal" range for my height. But that is because the BMI we use is a bunch of hoo-ha based on height and weight and not taking into consideration the myriad of other factors that make us different and unique. (I could go on about my feelings relating to BMI, but I'll save you all the trouble)

At any rate, I just needed to rant about the stupidity of people. This law would just be yet another tactic in the "Shame War" against obesity. Shaming people will not help them. It will only make them feel worse about themselves. How's about we stop judging people? Kae? Cuz seriously.....