McDonald's wins US obesity battle
McDonald's claimed victory in the latest obesity-related legal battle last week. However, experts said claims against fast-food operators would continue in the USA and probably spread to Europe.
For the second time this year, a New York judge dismissed a lawsuit brought on behalf of two teenagers who tried to blame McDonald's for their obesity problems.
Judge Robert Sweet threw out the lawsuit in January, but left the door open to lawyers to try again. The re-filed suit - this time based on alleged deceptive marketing by McDonald's - has again been rejected with plaintiffs barred from filing another version of the lawsuit.
McDonald's said that last week's ruling was "a total victory for common sense". The National Restaurant Association, which is backing proposed legislation in the USA to curb such litigation against restaurants, said reason had prevailed.
Legal experts still warn of a flood of obesity-related lawsuits in the USA and Europe, however.
John Banzhaf, law professor at George Washington University, who made headlines this summer with his claims that fast food is addictive, said: "I know [food companies] are running scared. And I think [the litigation] will definitely spill out into the UK and Europe."
- McDonald's said it saw an opportunity to expand through selling its new healthy-eating range of wraps and salads through European supermarkets, although it was not actively pursuing this course at present.
