Tipping the Scales of Justice

What rights if any do fat people have? If a child is obese are the parents legally responsible? Can employers treat overweight employees as different or disabled? Should fat people be protected by disability laws? Cases of illegal hiring practices workplace prejudice harassment unfair treatment medical malpractice and denial of public access are being filed in increasing numbers as the nation continues to obsess over and misunderstand weight.Two events in 1998-the controversial felony prosecution of a mother whose child died of obesity-related complications and the National Institutes of Health declaration of a national weight standard-forced the weight debate to a new level of public awareness.Very little literature on the law and weight exists so each new case is a potential precedent-setter. Tipping the Scales of Justice presents actual cases and the stories behind the legal arguments showing for the first time the varied and surprising ways that fat has become a courtroom topic.An attorney who focuses on weight-related cases Sondra Solovay details court attitudes toward weight in relation to employment and discrimination law child/family law disability law civil rights minorities public policy diets and exercise and much more while intermingling a personal narrative on major cases and their outcomes. This fascinating book will be essential for law courses and libraries as well as a one-of-a-kind perspective for anyone concerned about weight as a legal issue.