The rise of obesity in America has people looking for answers -- and some fast-food restaurants have been targeted as the cause of obesity.

Discussion

Protect Food Industry From Obesity Lawsuits? How Does Your Fast-Food Meal Rate?

But a new study released Wednesday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce challenges the notion that fast food restaurants are to blame for the increase in obesity and says that lawsuits won't help people lose weight.

"Lawyers hungry for more money should resist the temptation to take a bite out of the fast food industry," said Lisa Rickard, president of the Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. "Overweight Americans will not find the solution to obesity in the courtroom but in making wise choices to eat smaller portions and healthier foods wherever they go."

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The study, led by former White House economist Todd Buchholz, outlines several reasons for the obesity trend: Americans are more sedentary than in years past; they snack twice as often between meals as they did two decades ago; and they consume about 200 calories more each day than they did in the 1970s.

Several recent lawsuits against fast-food restaurants have claimed that the restaurants have acted negligently or deceptively in selling products high in cholesterol, fat, salt and sugar. But the study found that fast-food chains willingly and readily produce nutritional content charts.

"You do not need a tort lawyer by your side to pry open a brochure or to check the thousands of Web sites that will provide nutrition data (on fast food)," said Buchholz.

The study concludes: "Fast-food meals ... are not chemically addictive," and one seldom hears of a fast-food patron "shaking with withdrawal symptoms when they give up a turkey sandwich or frozen fish fillet."

"Fortunately or unfortunately, Americans' freedom of choice includes the freedom to overeat," said Rickard. "Lawsuits against fast-food firms won't change that."

But the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a health advocacy group, said the food chains pushing super-sized burgers and fries deserve some of the responsibility for the widening of Americans.

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill sponsored by Rep. Ric Keller, R-Fla., that would protect the food industry from such lawsuits.

Keller called the litigation frivolous and said it won't solve the obesity problem.

But a George Washington University law professor said if the lawsuits really are frivolous, then the restaurants shouldn't have to ask Congress for help.