Burger Bill passes House

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill aimed at making it harder for people to sue the food industry for causing obesity. Lawmakers voted 306-120 in favour of the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act - or the "cheeseburger bill", as it has been nicknamed. The bill, which has still to go before the Senate, follows a series of legal actions against fast-food companies. A spokesman for the firms welcomed the move to outlaw such cases. Scott Vinson of the National Council of Chain Restaurants praised the House for "denouncing frivolous obesity lawsuits brought by plaintiffs seeking to blame restaurants for making them overweight". The council represents brands including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut.