If you think the wave of lawsuits brought against food companies by some of their heavier customers is one big fat joke, you’ll love this. Last month on MSNBC, John Banzhaf, who is leading this ridiculous charge, defined a “fat lawsuit” as “a lawsuit brought to deal with the problem of obesity.” Banzhaf has consistently — and falsely — claimed that his legal “movement” has “already won” four “fat lawsuits.”
Now Banzhaf is bragging in an e-mail dressed up as a news release (titled: “Fifth Fat Law Suit Successful”) that one company “will be paying out millions to give full refunds to persons who purchased its ice cream believing that it was low in fat and calories.” Banzhaf continues: “This new movement I helped start will use a wide variety of legal actions — including individual and class action law suits, criminal complaints, and regulatory approaches — to fight against obesity.”
He certainly sounds like a valiant crusader against fat, doesn’t he? But there’s one thing that his e-mail didn’t mention. As part of the settlement customers who ate the ice cream in question have the option of getting their money back, or receiving two free ice creams for every one that they bought.
Tell us again how this “fifth fat lawsuit” is fighting obesity, Mr. Banzhaf.
