Weighty row

McDonald's has been hauled to court again. This time by a group of obese teenagers, who claim the us fast food giant is responsible for making them fat.

Lawyer Samuel Hirsch has filed a lawsuit on their behalf in a Manhattan federal court. It alleges that McDonald's had intentionally misled customers into thinking their products were nutritious and healthy, thereby violating New York state's consumer fraud statutes. It further states that the company had "deliberately withheld information' regarding the health hazards associated with a fast food diet.

The mother of a 15-year-old teenager, who weighs more than 180 kilogrammes, claimed she had always believed McDonald's was "healthy for my son'. Another teenager ate almost all his meals at McDonald's for the last three years while staying in a shelter for the homeless.

Hirsch said that if the case went to trial, he would seek to convert it into a class action suit, whereby it could represent more children who claim to have developed health problems from eating McDonald's products.

Fast food companies fear a ruling against McDonald's could lead to a series of further lawsuits and payouts that could potentially run into billions of dollars.