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CNN Live At Daybreak

Government Declares War on Obesity

Aired May 30, 2002 - 05:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: You are what you eat, somebody once said that. Who knows who that was? Well, so the government declares war on obesity, but there are those who don't think that Big Brother's statistical pie is sliced quite right.

CNN's Bill Schneider has the takeout on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One side says it's an issue of public health.

DR MARGO WOOTAN, CSPI: Obesity is the most pressing public health issue facing the country.

SCHNEIDER: It's not just the couch potato problem. It's also a French fried potato problem. Americans eat out a lot more. Public health activists have been warning consumers about the hidden dangers of pizza and tacos and kung pao chicken and running ads like this one, comparing food dangers to tobacco. So the food and restaurant industries are fighting back with ads like these attacking the food police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hear why your rights and your cheeseburgers may soon be in jeopardy.

SCHNEIDER: Food industry spokesmen say the government's new obesity standards are ridiculous.

RICK BERMAN, CENTER FOR CONSUMER FREEDOM: According to the government standard, I am obese. In fact, if I lost 15 pounds, I'd still be obese. But I am in good company because Tom Cruise is obese and Russell Crowe is obese and Michael Jordan is considered overweight.

SCHNEIDER: Public health activists talk about a bad food environment.

WOOTAN: You have ads that encourage us to eat, eat, eat.

SCHNEIDER: They want people to see the food issue as comparable to the tobacco issue -- greedy companies that make money by endangering public health.

WOOTAN: Health advocates are looking at tobacco as a model.

SCHNEIDER: The food industry says food is not addictive like tobacco. They prefer the prohibition model.

BERMAN: This intrusion of the federal government into people's lifestyles, which we find pretty alarming.

SCHNEIDER: The response from public health activists? We're not trying to force anything on people.

WOOTAN: We're trying to help people do what they already want to do.

SCHNEIDER (on camera): As usual, it's a contest to define the issue. After all, 10 years ago tobacco lawsuits were considered frivolous until the issue got defined as one of public health and corporate greed.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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