Fast Food Chains Sued in Class Action on Behalf of Overweight Children

An overweight New York resident yesterday filed a second class-action lawsuit against fast-food chains McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and KFC on behalf of overweight children, USA Today reports. Caesar Barber, who filed the first class-action suit in July, also filed the second lawsuit (USA Today, 9/5). The first lawsuit, filed in New York state court, alleges that the fast food chains failed to inform customers about the nutritional content of their products and did not offer healthier selections, which led to an addiction to the products. The National Restaurant Association, which represents the fast-food industry, called that lawsuit "frivolous." Association spokesperson Katharine Kim said, "It is senseless, baseless and ridiculous to compare food to things that are addictive. It's just an attempt to capitalize on all the stories recently in the press about the increase in obesity rates" (American Health Line, 7/29). Samuel Hirsch, a lawyer who represents Barber and the other plaintiffs in the two lawsuits, said that Barber filed the second lawsuit "because fast-food chains' marketing strategies target children." McDonald's did not comment on the lawsuit (USA Today, 9/5).