BEIJING, Oct. 20 -- The US House of Represetatives on Wednesday passed a bill  banning people from suing fast food restaurants for obesity-related problems.

    The "Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act", better known as the "cheeseburger bill"  passed on a 306 to 120 vote.

    The bill blocks state and federal lawsuits by people who blame their weight gain on manufacturers, distributors and sellers of food and nonalcoholic drinks. It does not block civil lawsuits stemming from tainted food.

    Supporters said the bill was intended to prioritize personal responsibility among an increasingly obese American population.

    ¡°We should not encourage lawsuits that blame others for our own choices and could bankrupt an entire industry,¡± notes Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.

    The head of the National Restaurant Association praised the vote. "Holding restaurants and food companies legally responsible for choices all of us freely make each day such as what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat, is irrational." said National Restaurant Association President and Chief Executive Officer Steven C. Anderson.  

    The House passed a similar bill last year, but the Senate failed to act on it.

    (Agencies)