US fast food chains win vote to protect them from lawsuits

America’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted to shield fast-food chains from lawsuits that blame them for making people fat.

Nicknamed the “cheeseburger bill”, the measure stems from lawsuits accusing McDonald’s of causing obesity in tens of thousands of children. The food industry has asked Congress and state legislatures to protect it from liability, and so far, 21 states have agreed.