Fast Food Ban: Good or Bad?
Councilwoman Jan Perry
In South Los Angeles, California, a city councilwoman is proposing a new law: a ban on all fast food eateries from opening in the area for two years.
Los Angeles, a city that has more eateries than any other part of the country, could use this two-year time period to come up with a plan to fix health problems that have been linked to the chain fast-food restaurants. Could this help Los Angeles battle its fast food problems? Dennis Lombardi, a food service strategies chief at a restaurant consulting firm says No.
He claims the restriction was like “saying we’re not going to allow anybody to sell Chevrolets anymore because we want people to buy nothing but Mercedes-Benzs.”
All though the plan has its fair share of skeptics, like any, could it really help obesity related illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease? Councilwoman Jan Perry believes so, believing many suspicions that these diseases are connected to fatty fast foods.
Many public health officials believe this could be a good step on the ladder to better health, like Mark Valliantos, who says, “While limiting fast foods restaurants isn’t a solution in itself, it’s an important piece of the puzzle".
Let’s hope the law gets passed and helps the thirty percent of adults and twenty-nine percent of children who are obese in South Los Angeles.
