GOOD MORNING AMERICA, ABC-TV NEWS
[7/2/03]
MANY COMPANIES CHANGING TO LOW FAT SOLUTIONS
TO MANY SNACKS OR MEALS
CHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS
And joining us now is John Banzhaf. He is Professor
of Public Interest at George Washington University. A major crusader, as
you may recall, against big tobacco and is now among those targeting the
food industry.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) And John, it's good to have you with us.
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF,
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Good morning.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) This is interesting. McDonald's testing -fruit slices in its
Happy Meals. Kraft, Frito Lay saying they'll reduce the size of portions
and the, and the fat content of their food. What's going on here?
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF
What's going on, I think, very clearly is that they are concerned about the
so-called fat lawsuits, four of which we've already won - The one's
we're threatening to bring - And the publicity that all of this is bringing
and making the public realize just how important the food industry has been
in this current epidemic of obesity.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) So, how positive are these steps?
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF
Well, the one from Kraft is not going to take affect 'til 2004. So, you
still have to be on the alert. These are tiny little steps moving in the
right direction, but they've still got a long way to go. I mean, when I
go into a food store, I can look on a package. I know how much fat and calories
are in there. When I stand in line at McDonald's or Burger King or Wendy's,
you have no idea what you're getting. Nobody goes to a web site before they
go out and get a quick meal.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) But John, the, the, the, the point is always made, you know
that there's high fat content in a lot of foods, and they're not particularly
good for you. And you don't have to eat them.
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF
But, first of all, you ...
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) You can find the healthy alternative.
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF
... you don't know how much fat there is. When we started these suits,
most of them did not have healthy alternatives. And what we're saying is,
you have to tell people. If you expect people to make a choice, you have
to give them this kind of information. They're not doing that.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) And do you really think it's because of the threat of the lawsuits?
Because, unlike tobacco, this food is not necessarily addictive.
CHARLES GIBSON
Well, Charlie, every report I saw yesterday said, yes, it was the threat
of the lawsuits. And even if fat food's not addictive, many of the tobacco
suits did not go off on the issue of addiction. We have won four of the
fat suits so far. We never even had to get to the issue of addiction. That's
coming up in a future lawsuit. And by the way, there is evidence, which
is in a major scientific magazine, that eating lots of fattening food may
cause the same addictive effect as nicotine. So, we'll have to wait and
see on that one.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) You say they are concerned about the lawsuits. Will this in
any way stem the lawsuits, stop them?
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF
This probably will not stop the lawsuits. But what might, ironically, is
Congress, which is doing nothing about this epidemic of obesity, which is
costing us all about a $120 billion a year, most of which is paid by guys
like you who are not obese, in higher taxes and in higher health insurance.
Congress is doing nothing. But there is now a bill in Congress which would
stop all these lawsuits just when they're beginning to actually show some
promise and get people like McDonald's and Krafts and all the others, Frito
Lay, to do something.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) It is interesting that the health cost of obesity, about the
same as the health cost of tobacco.
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF
Oh, no. Hundred and 20, roughly, for obesity. A 140 billion a year for smoking.
And in both cases, it's the person who's not obese and not the smoker who
pays it in higher Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance costs.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) All right. Some baby steps, then, by Kraft.
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF
Baby steps in the right direction. More lawsuits, more progress coming up,
I guarantee you.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) All right. John Banzhaf ...
PROFESSOR JOHN BANZHAF
Thank you.