Amid High Obesity Rates, Mississippi Approves ‘Anti-Bloomberg’ Bill
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The City of New York(NEW YORK) — The governor of the nation’s fattest state is expected to sign what’s being called the anti-Bloomberg bill.
Mississippi has the highest obesity rate (one in three adults) of any state, and it wants to prevent measures aimed at reducing it — just the kinds of measures championed by New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
The Mississippi legislature passed a bipartisan bill that prohibits cities and towns from posting nutrition information on restaurant menus or limiting portion sizes.
The bill was introduced by Mississippi state Sen. Tony Smith, R-Picayune, who owns a BBQ chain called Stonewall’s. Smith has said he was inspired to author the legislation by Bloomberg’s attempt to restrict the size of sugary soda.
Smith says he believes government shouldn’t tell people what they cannot eat.
“If we give government a little more control of our personal rights — where does it stop?” he said, according to New York Daily News.
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