Fast-Food Looks to Be Hemmed In

You know that it's bad for you. You know you could stand to drop a few pounds. But sometimes that Baconator looks just too good. Yet with rising obesity and its attendant health problems (diabetes, heart disease, etc.), the City Council in south L.A. is looking to step in. A new plan would put a two-year freeze on the building of new fast-food restaurants. Explaining the motivation behind the proposed measure, Councilwoman Jan Perry said, "people don't want them [fast-food], but when they don't have any other options, they may gravitate to what's there." South L.A. is, in fact, fairly awash in fast food and about 30% of adults there are considered obese. But is a manner of "health zoning" the correct response? The restaurant industry naturally doesn't think so, and critics argue the government should instead offer incentives for better restaurants, rather than just targeting fast-food.

Star This to Save in Your Profile