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Posted On October 27, 2004
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Heavy Hitters

Forty-three Out Of 50 World Series Players Are Considered Overweight By Federal Government

Washington, DC – The Red Sox and Cardinals are battling it out to see who is the best in baseball, but according to the government, they should be battling the bulge.

Despite the fact that the Sox and Cardinals have proven to be on top of their game, the U.S. government considers them contributors to the nation’s so-called obesity epidemic, as 43 of the 50 players in the 2004 World Series are officially too heavy according to the federal measurement standard.

This is just one of the many ridiculous statistics fueling the over-hyped “obesity epidemic” today. In 1998, the U.S. government changed the standard by which overweight is measured. As a result, over 30 million Americans were shifted from a government-approved weight to the overweight category -- without gaining an ounce!

Pedro Martinez, Curt Shilling, and Albert Pujols may be able to round the bases but that won’t stop the self-described “food police” at the Center for Science in the Public Interest and trial lawyers from putting a tape measure around their waists. They want “fat taxes” and restaurant lawsuits to force us, even Pedro, Curt, and Albert, who the government defines as “overweight”, all to slim down.

Baseball isn’t alone when it comes to the “heavy weights.” Three out of four NBA finalists this year were considered overweight, and 75 U.S. Olympians were over the government-approved weight limit in Greece according to these ridiculous standards.

“The fact that so many of these athletes are considered too heavy is proof that much of the so-called obesity epidemic is based on faulty assumptions and overblown statistics,” said Rick Berman, executive director of The Center for Consumer Freedom. “The government has obviously struck out with these fat standards.”

Does the government think you’re fat? Take the test at http://www.consumerfreedom.com/games.cfm. Plug in your height and weight to get an instant verdict on how you stack up against the USA’s best athletes.

The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices.

For media comment, contact our media department at 202-463-7112 ext. 115




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