EDITORIAL
For now, use individual judgment for fast food

John Banzhaf may be on to something. Not only is too much fatty food bad for you, he says, but some tentative research suggests that it's addictive, like "nicotine or heroin."

That may be pushing it a bit. But with the rapid spread of obesity in the United States, it's hard not to wonder whether there isn't at least a grain of truth in Banzhaf's theory.

Will the fast-food industry eventually follow cigarette makers in coughing up huge damage awards in lawsuits showing the physical damage they've caused their customers? It's far too early to tell. The research Banzhaf cites is premature. The testing so far is on rats, not people. But it's another storm cloud on the horizon, both for the fast-food industry and for folks who patronize it frequently.

It suggests that people with good judgment will try to substitute healthier choices for some of the deep-fried fast-food goodies they've become so accustomed — if not addicted — to.

And it suggests that the fast-food industry will be well advised to step up its research on how to make healthy food taste as good as what they're serving today. And clearly, the industry is willing to adapt when there is customer pressure. Note, for instance, McDonald's commendable decision to order its meat suppliers to phase out the use of antibiotics by 2004.

We don't see Banzhaf bringing the fast-food industry to its knees any time soon. For the time being, it's caveat emptor — let the buyer beware.

And, we might add, appellare emptor — let the buyer speak up.