More than a decade ago, heart attack victim Phil Sokolof ran a series of advertisements accusing laden burgers and fries. Although McDonald’s representatives labeled the advertising claims made by Mr. Sokolof and his National Heart Savers Association an “outrageous lie”, the advertisements were effective and change did occur as the chain eventually shifted to vegetable oil in lieu of beef tallow.

Today, fast food once again finds itself at center stage in controversy surrounding its impact on public health. Morgan Spurlock, an amateur filmmaker, committed himself to an exclusive McDonald’s only diet for 30 days breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Always eating every item on the McDonald’s menu over the course of the month produced dramatic effects on his health. He gained some 18 pounds over the course of the experiment, experienced liver damage. Spuriock’s body fat composition increased by 7 percent, his cholesterol went up 60 points, and his blood pressure rose from ¹²⁰⁄₈₀ to ¹⁵⁰⁄₁₀₀. Mr. Spuriock’s experiences are the subject of his new film, Super Size Me. Similar to its response to the Sokolof advertisements, McDonald’s representatives have attempted to discredit Spuriock’s experiment, calling his film “over the top”, “irresponsible”, and a “stunt full of distortions”. Shortly after Mr. Spuriock’s revelations about his fast food experiment, the Associated Press reported that McDonald’s was phasing out its supersize menu options.

Many critics blame businesses like McDonald’s for public health concerns, contending that fast-food menus contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and a variety of other diet-related problems. Parallels have been draw between fast food, tobacco, and firearms: allegedly, all of these industries market products potentially injurious to public health, impose costs on society, and do not pay for the damage they cause. To date, two high-profile lawsuits have been filed on behalf of consumers against the fast-food industry. Critics opposed to such litigation argue that dietary practices are a matter of individual choice and personal responsibility. Fearing that fast food will become the next big tobacco and will be destroyed by “this ridiculous trend of lawsuit Lotto,” Representative Ric Keller of Florida has urged the Congress to enact legislation protecting the industry.

What is clear, and often seems to be lost in the debate over personal responsibility and litigation, is that America and other countries are experiencing an obesity crisis, particularly among younger segments of the population. Obesity contributes to approximately 300,000 premature deaths each year in America alone, leading some business critics to suggest that obesity, driven by fast food, will eventually surpass tobacco as the number one preventable cause of death and debilitation in the United States.

What was the reaction of McDonald’s representatives to Sokolof s advertisements?