Weight Loss Expert to Testify in Congress on the Role of Personal Responsibility in America's Obesity Debate

DURHAM, N.C. & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 2003--

Expert Testimony Strives to Protect the Food Industry from Future Abusive Litigation

“Lawsuits threaten to bring forth a new wave of litigation against the food industry, blaming food marketers and fast food chains for our nation's obesity epidemic”

Dr. Gerard Musante, nationally renowned obesity expert and founder of Durham, N.C.'s Structure House weight loss facility, has spent more than 30 years fighting America's obesity epidemic by teaching a behavioral approach to weight loss that focuses on personal responsibility. After decades of teaching this philosophy to his program participants, Dr. Musante has been asked to serve as an expert witness for the Commonsense Consumption Act of 2003, introduced by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Dr. Musante's testimony stressing the importance of personal responsibility for food consumption will be made before the United States Senate on Thursday, October 16, 2003.

If passed, the Commonsense Consumption Act will prohibit any legal claims based on alleged injury related to obesity or weight gain, in state or federal court, against a food manufacturer, marketer, seller, distributor or advertiser. The bill does not provide legal immunity for the food industry. It only provides protection from abusive suits by individuals trying to blame these industries for obesity and weight-gain related health conditions.

Dr. Musante's testimony will be heard in the first session of the 108th Congress by the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. The hearing will be held in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 2:00 p.m. and is open to the public.

"Lawsuits threaten to bring forth a new wave of litigation against the food industry, blaming food marketers and fast food chains for our nation's obesity epidemic," explains Dr. Musante. "Americans should stop blaming others and should instead take responsibility for their own food choices. The Commonsense Consumption Act encourages Americans to assume responsibility for their food choices, and will prohibit frivolous lawsuits against industries that are merely providing goods and services demanded by American consumers."

America's obesity epidemic is a national threat - approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million are obese, and 9 million are severely obese. America's obesity rates are increasingly alarming, and there is no simple solution. According to results from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), more than 64% of US adults are either overweight or obese.

"As a clinical psychologist who has been working with the obese for more than thirty years, I have never witnessed one of my patients become obese from eating one fast food meal or a high-fat snack food," explains Dr. Musante. "Negative lifestyle choices cause obesity, not a trip to a fast food restaurant or a cookie high in trans-fat.

Taking personal responsibility for the food choices we make is the primary and most important component of any successful and sustainable weight loss regimen. Maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle is not easy, and there is no 'quick-fix.' It is time for industries, organizations and communities to work together in the fight against obesity. Each of us bears responsibility for our relationship with food. We can't point our finger at someone else," Musante concludes.

According to a Gallup poll published on July 21, 2003, Dr. Musante and Senator McConnell's views are in accordance with nearly nine out of 10 (89 percent) Americans, who do not think the fast-food industry is legally responsible for diet-related health problems.

Dr. Musante and Senator McConnell hope to gain the support of the Senate Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts on Thursday, October 16, 2003 to pass this bill that will promote healthier lifestyle choices, putting responsibility back into the hands of a nation that is facing an obesity issue of epidemic proportions.

About Dr. Musante

Dr. Musante has worked with thousands of overweight patients, authored numerous professional publications, and is a leading authority in the field of obesity treatment. Prior to establishing Structure House in 1977, Dr. Musante served on the faculty of Duke University Medical Center where he pioneered the behavior change approach to weight loss. He continues to serve Duke University as a Consulting Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. He has been featured on 60 Minutes, Good Morning, America and has been featured in many national print articles throughout the years. ** Dr. Musante is available for interviews. For additional information, or to schedule an interview, contact Coleen Hanson at [phone] or [e-mail]

About Structure House

Structure House is a residential weight loss facility committed to helping people achieve long-term weight management success. Founded by clinical psychologist Dr. Gerard Musante in 1977, Structure House pioneered the behavioral approach to healthy lifestyle change and has helped thousands of people from all 50 states and 35 nations achieve genuine, quantifiable and lasting weight loss to improve the quality of their physical and emotional health. For more information, visit www.structurehouse.com.