L.A. May Slow Onslaught of Fast Food

Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

The Planning and Land Use Committee of the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a proposal that would keep new fast food places from opening in several neighborhoods in South L.A. for at least a year, according to Molly Hennessy-Fiske of The Los Angeles Times.

It’s easy to see why Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents south L.A., proposed the measure. A chart linked to Hennessy-Fiske’s article shows that 45% of all restaurants in the South L.A. area are fast food establishments, which is the highest concentration of such places in the city.

What’s more, the percentages of south L.A. adults with diabetes and adults who are obese are the highest of all areas in Los Angeles, at 11.7% and 30% respectively, according to a report issued by the city’s public health department.

Councilwoman Perry is also working to bring more grocery stores and sit-down restaurants to her area, according a press release on her website.

I imagine some will oppose Perry’s idea, because they think it impedes people’s freedom to eat as they please.

But she isn’t proposing to make it illegal for people to go to McDonald’s if they wish, or even to remove any fast food outlets from her district.

She simply wants to provide more choices about where to eat to her constituents, choices that residents of other L.A. residents apparently already have, and choices that will enable people to eat more healthfully.

This proposal must be approved by the entire L.A. city council and signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in order to become law. Clearly South L.A. residents don’t need any more fast food joints in their backyard, so I hope the city council and mayor do the right thing and enact this moratorium.