Are big macs a no-no in your family? (entrepreneur.com).

The Lawsuit

On Oct. 30, Schorr took his son out for their regular dinner outing. He offered his 5-year-old son a choice: either dinner anywhere but McDonald’s or no dinner at all. When the son chose to eat no dinner, David complied and sent his infuriated, tantrum-ridden son home to his mother.

Schorr is now in the middle of a divorce with estranged wife, Bari Yunis Schorr. Psychologist Marilyn Schiller was court assigned to the case to evaluate Schorr's actions. Schiller believed that Schorr's refusal to give his son McDonald’s deemed him incapable of taking care of his son and raised "concerns about the viability” of the father’s weekly visits. According to the lawsuit, Schorr is normally "not a very strict father who rarely refuses his child McDonald’s.” But Schorr finally drew the line when his son only wanted McDonald's. 

Schiller asked the judge to eliminate or limit the amount of visiting hours Schorr has with his son every week.

Significance of the Lawsuit

This lawsuit tackles the issue of childhood obesity head-on. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the percentage of children 6 to 11 years of age in the United States who are obese increased from 7 percent in the 1980s to about 18 percent in 2010. That percentage is still on the rise, and fast food restaurants are not helping this deadly upward trend.

There has been much debate as to whether Schorr's actions are considered commendable. Some argue that Schorr did the right thing by offering his son a choice and enforcing his options. Others argue that it was wrong for David to deny his son food at McDonald's.

Regardless, this lawsuit sheds light on the importance of a child’s health, and how eating habits in developmental years can determine future choices.

Healthy Fast Food Choices

If you find yourself in a dire rush and need to re-energize on the go, consider these fast food options that won’t leave you feeling guilty at the drive-thru, and hopefully won't end in lawsuits. 

Reach Staff Reporter Niki Hashemi here or follow her on Twitter.