Odessa

In Mississippi a law banning restaurants from serving obese people is being proposed:

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2008 Regular Session

To: Public Health and Human Services; Judiciary B

By: Representative Mayhall, Read, Shows
House Bill 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.

1) What if I am traveling through Mississippi? Do I have to bring snacks to make it from state line to state line? What a way to treat a guest!
2) What if I am getting a salad with a twist of lemon as a dressing? Will that be against the law? I mean, that is diet food and shows I'm trying to change my piggish ways.
3) Are restaurants going to be forced to have a back room with a special knock to get in like a speak easy for their best customers?

Representative Mayhall, shame on you! Try encouraging exercise and proper eating. Maybe you should take a long hard look at your culinary "culture". When I think down home southern cookin', it ain't no steamed broccoli and baked chicken breast without the skin. NO! We are talkin' some fried catfish or bar-b-que, collard greens cooked with ham hocks or salt pork, and maybe some cheese grits or macaroni and cheese. What can we top that off with? A piece of Mississippi mud pie perhaps? Get a grip! Hey, while you're at it and pass the hot sauce . . .