Stephen Tillotson is an undeclared sophomore. He can be contacted at [email protected].In 2007, Mississippi was reported to have more than a 30 percent obesity rate, the highest in the nation.
This statistic is not very surprising if you consider the amount of fast food being consumed along with typical fatty foods that make up a Southern diet.
Obesity can lead to diabetes and other health problems, as well as costly medical procedures. And as much as I hate knowing I live in the fattest state in the country, I think the problem can be addressed and eventually fixed. Gov. Haley Barbour even instituted the “Let’s Go Walkin’ Mississippi” campaign to help tackle the obesity problem.
While this is a good start in my mind, others didn’t think so. State representatives Ted Mayhall, John Read and Bobby Shows recently filed House Bill 282, which would make it illegal to serve food to obese people in restaurants with more than five seats.
That’s right – it would be illegal to feed obese people. The flaws in the genius idea are obvious.
How would you definr who is obese and who isn’t? What would stop those who were denied nourishment from going home and eating something unhealthy? Finally, wouldn’t restaurants lose business if they could only serve people who weren’t obese?
These are only a few of the questions that would have to be asked. Fortunately, House Public Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Steve Holland said in a news release that House Bill 282 is “dead on arrival at my desk.”
The bill that Holland is wasting no time getting rid of is completely outrageous, but what is even more outrageous is the fact that the representatives who created the bill never intended for it to actually be passed. They simply wanted to bring attention to Mississippi’s obesity problem.
First of all, having the highest obesity rate in the country should bring plenty of attention to the problem without having to waste time on a ridiculous bill that only riles people up. Mississippi is already seen as a state that cannot overcome obesity, and now it is seen as a state with an insensitive legislature that lacks sound judgment.
These representatives may have had good intentions, but they could have accomplished much more with a serious bill that addresses obesity in a practical, realistic way. Hopefully, the reaction to this bill will curb future bills that are used for their shock value in order to call attention to a serious matter.
While this circus act bill is being focused on, obese people are not benefiting at all. A fake bill concerning a serious health issue is a slap in the face to people who deal with obesity everyday. I’m sure they would much rather a serious bill be filed that actually makes a difference.
Attention can only be brought to an issue so much. At some point, action has to be more important than attention.