Posted on 09/10/2007 6:43:00 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
As America gets fatter, policymakers are seeking creative approaches to legislating health. They may have entered the school cafeteria -- and now they're eyeing your neighborhood.
Amid worries of an obesity epidemic and its related illnesses, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, Los Angeles officials, among others around the country, are proposing to limit new fast-food restaurants -- a tactic that could be called health zoning.
The City Council will be asked this fall to consider an up to two-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in South L.A., a part of the city where fast food is at least as much a practicality as a preference.
"The people don't want them, but when they don't have any other options, they may gravitate to what's there," said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who proposed the ordinance in June, and whose district includes portions of South L.A. that would be affected by the plan.
In just one-quarter of a mile near USC on Figueroa Street, from Adams Boulevard south, there are about 20 fast-food outlets.
"To be honest, it's all we eat," Rey Merlan said one recent lunch hour at a Kentucky Fried Chicken. "Everywhere, it's fast food everywhere."
Merlan said it wasn't likely that a limit on new restaurants would change peoples' habits, even though he thinks it's a good idea.
A Times analysis of the city's roughly 8,200 restaurants found that South Los Angeles has the highest concentration of fast-food eateries. Per capita, the area has fewer eating establishments of any kind than the Westside, downtown or Hollywood, and about the same as the Valley. But a much higher percentage of those are fast-food chains. South L.A. also has far fewer grocery stores.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Notice that At Bay, Wheee, Ditter, Raycpa, and the other usual whining smoke nazi suspects are absent in this thread? Hmmmmnn.
I’m actually stunned at what Wheee the People supports. Basically anything that wins a “majority” vote.
be hepin’ po’ folks on the democrap plantation
to save dem from dem selves.
Yep. Big believer in ‘majority rules’, a.k.a. ‘the tyranny of 50% plus one.’ He’ll never admit we’re SUPPOSED to be a Republic, not a democracy.
I detect a pattern....:-)
LOL ;^)
Back in the days, McDonald’s used to be the best tasting fries.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.