First they came for the fat people

If there’s a contest for shameless publicity stunts, the hands-down winner is Mississippi State Rep. W.T. Mayhall, and his pals, Bobby Shows and John Read.

Actually, we hate to use the term “publicity stunt” to describe their bill, No. 282, which would bar restaurants from serving fat people. The term diminishes the breathtaking bigotry behind the proposal and also tends to discourage people from seeing the measure for what it is: a far-reaching threat to basic civil rights.

• The bill would dictate to restaurants — in other words, private businesses — whom they can and cannot serve. The standard is further based on appearance. You’d think the South would know better by now, since the segregation of restaurants and other public places is still pretty fresh in a lot of people’s memories.

• The bill would grossly invade the privacy of patrons. The proposed legislation states “fat” would be determined by the state, and based on the body mass index, or BMI. That could mean restaurants would have to keep track of these stats, which are really nobody’s business.  It also subjects eateries to greater state health monitoring and threatens to revoke violators’ permits.

• BMI is a weight-height ratio. It tells you beans about actual health. Other numbers, such as blood pressure readings, cholesterol, blood sugar, and heart-disease risk ratings are far more meaningful — though they are not necessarily linked to weight or within an individual’s control. Were the Mississippi Three to suggest such tests be conducted on anyone attempting to eat out, nobody would bother. Also, thousands of slim people would be excluded from eateries.

• The bill assumes overeating causes obesity. Despite all the diet commercials and alarmist media reports, that’s not true. Body weight is primarily genetic. Research demonstrates there is a complicated metabolic process involved.

• Even if you choose to believe “fat=death,” legislating people’s body size and punishing them for not meeting your standards is repugnant.

Some would insist the general idea behind the bill is appropriate, arguing that restaurants ban smoking and that there are laws prohibiting bars from serving intoxicated patrons. This is apples and oranges. Smoking is a behavior; fat people are people (and not automatically unhealthy). All people need to eat to survive; food is not a “drug” for fat people.

Others would say the bill is ludicrous. According to published reports, Mayhall himself does not expect it to pass. But he also says he’s in deadly earnest, so this is not a laughing matter. Further, it is a classic passive-aggressive trick to suggest something outrageous, then spout the old “heh, heh, only kidding/boy, are you sensitive” comeback.

Colorado should not entertain any similar attack on civil rights. If Colorado needs to imitate any other state when it comes to “obesity,” it should look to Michigan, whose 1976 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits weight- and height-based discrimination in terms of housing and employment. In fact, bars on such discrimination should occur at the federal level. This would take care of self-righteous meddlers like Mayhall and friends.