No More Fries with That Shake
A Los Angeles city councilwoman proposed a controversial idea this week related to the
health and wellness of her city’s citizens: no more fast food restaurants in south L.A.
According to a study performed by the Los Angeles Times, this area of the county has more fast-food restaurants than any other region. Startling statistics from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health showed that 30 percent of the south L.A. adult residents are obese; as compared to 20.9 percent in the county’s general population. Children in south L.A. showed a six percent higher obesity rate than the county overall.
These numbers are perhaps what prompted the councilwoman’s proposed two-year moratorium on the opening of new, fast-food restaurants in south L.A. The city would use this two-year period to address the health problems and create a long-term
wellness program.
High blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes are major health conditions commonly associated with ingredients found on fast-food menus.