Washington, DC — The latest diatribe against restaurants and food companies comes from dietary scold Kelly Brownell, a Yale psychologist and father of the “Twinkie tax.” Brownell’s new book, Food Fight, casts aside overwhelming public opinion that obesity is a matter of personal and parental responsibility.
Brownell’s decade-long crusade aims to convince Americans that the foods they enjoy are as dangerous as tobacco, and he is perfectly willing to trample individual rights in order to “remedy” the situation.
Brownell has seized the obesity issue and sensationalized it to encourage government regulators to further control our diets. Brownell’s most frequent policy demand, which he renews in Food Fight, is a substantial punitive ‘sin’ tax on fast-foods, soft drinks, and high-calorie foods.
Brownell’s solutions don’t end with taxation. He was also a featured speaker at a recent
trial-lawyer conference held “to encourage and support litigation against the food industry.”
The Food Fight author faces a serious uphill battle in his bid to convince the public that his solutions are needed. A recent national Gallup poll showed over two-thirds of U.S. adults do not believe that restaurants are responsible for consumers’ obesity. Nine out of ten Americans disagree with the idea of holding restaurants legally responsible for the health-related problems of obese consumers.
To schedule an interview with a Center for Consumer Freedom spokesperson, contact Mike Burita at (202) 463-7112
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. To learn more, visit www.ConsumerFreedom.com.
