"Lawsuit lounge" threatens to sue over diet, obesity
The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) held its annual meeting last weekend in Boston and, according to the Chicago Tribune ,, agreed to "increase threats of litigation (against) food companies to improve the fare they offer. The group did not name the companies targeted with "tobacco-style litigation" seeking "huge fines" against (the) corporations."
Less adulatory is the description of the group by the consumer watchdog group ActivistCash.com . Says the group's website, PHAI
is a lawsuit lounge where food cops and trial lawyers swap strategies to litigate away consumers' food choices. Located in Boston with a board composed of faculty members from the Northeastern University School of Law and Tufts University School of Medicine, PHAI's goal is to attack food makers through lawsuits. Along the way, it is creating the next huge payday for trial lawyers, who are trying to demonize popular foods by using their template for attacking tobacco.
Self-interested or not, the threat is the latest in a barrage of charges that the food industry is trying to undermine the health of its customers. A nummber of reporters are in obvious sympathy. We'll see how the general public responds.
