300-Pound Inmate Sues Jail Over Losing Weight

An inmate awaiting trial on a murder charge in Arkansas is suing the county, complaining he has lost more than 100 pounds because of the jailhouse menu.

Broderick Lloyd Laswell says he isn't happy that he's down to 308 pounds after eight months in the Benton County jail and has filed a federal lawsuit complaining the jail doesn't provide inmates with enough food.

According to the suit, Laswell weighed 413 pounds when he was jailed in September. Police say he and a co-defendant fatally beat and stabbed a man, then set his home on fire.

"On several occasions I have started to do some exercising and my vision went blurry and I felt like I was going to pass out," Laswell writes in his complaint. "About an hour after each meal my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry again."

"If we are in a small pod all day and do next to nothing for physical exercise, we should not lose weight," he says. "The only reason we lost weight in here is because we are literally being starved to death."

The suit also asks that the county be ordered to serve hot meals.

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