LA’s Year Old Ban on New Fast Food Restaurants Doomed to Fail
A moratorium on new fast food restaurants in South Los Angeles is now about one year old. Backers hoped the move would lead to healthier meals. However, a Health Affairs article argues this approach is unlikely to work because there is no evidence fast food establishments are less healthy than sit-down restaurants. For instance:
- A sandwich lunch plate from Romano’s Macaroni Grill has three times the calories of a Big Mac.
- Appetizers at Outback Steakhouse and Chili’s often exceed 2,000 calories.
- Many dinner choices pack an entire day’s supply of calories into one meal.
Moreover, non-perishable cookies, candies and soft drinks sold at neighborhood grocers also contribute to obesity in South Los Angeles but are not affected by the ban.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xN9r0bWe78
California Dreamin’
Truly amazing that anybody thought this experiment was going to work.
Since when are calories “unhealthy?”
Good point Linda.
That’s a very appropriate video pairing. It somehow captures the spirit of California lunacy.
It’s truly amazing that people would actually think that by banning all new fast food establishments, healthier, sit-down restaurants would proliferate and people would somehow switch from a diet of fried chicken, Big Macs and french fries to eat tofu and salad.
If people wanted tofu and salad, the purveyors of tofu and salad would have built eateries in South LA long ago.
The only place I know of where this has worked well is North Korea. It completely elminated any chance they’d have an obesity epidemic.