According to a new bill in Mississippi, restaurants might be banned from serving food to obese customers, and the restaurants which do not obey this decision might even lose their license.

The bill, known as HB 282, was proposed by Mississippi State Representative John Read of Gautier, along with two more authors Ted Mayhall (R-Southaven), and Bobby Shows (D-Ellisville). Read expressed his concern regarding the fact that 30% of the Mississippi population is obese, according to a study carried out by the Trust for America's Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention. He said that he had not expected the bill to pass as a law, but had just meant “to shed a little light on the number one problem in Mississippi.” Obese people suffer from major health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

According to this bill, the state’s health department and the Mississippi’s Council on Obesity should decide over the weight criteria, and after that should supply the list of criteria to the restaurants so that they know which people they should not serve.

Although there have been many in favor of the bill, it has been classified as “ridiculous,” “insane,” or discriminative.

Joseph Nadgloqski, president of Obesity Action Coalition, criticized the bill, calling for its withdrawal. “HB 282 is the most blatant form of obesity discrimination. This bill completely perpetuates the negative stigma often associated with obesity.”

The state House Public Health Committee chairman, Democrat Steve Holland of Plantersville, said he is going to "shred" the bill, the Associated Press reported.

Holland said that a major awareness campaign is planned, but “the obesity bill” is not a good approach. Tuesday morning the bill was rejected by Holland’s committee.