Should We Ban Fast Food Restaurants? :

Los Angeles officials are considering implementing a 2 year ban on new fast food outlets in the south of the district.

"The people don't want them [fast food outlets], but when they don't have any other options, they may gravitate to what's there,"

The LA Times has counted up the restaurants:

...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.

A previous discussion looked at implementing obesity-related legislation . Here's why I feel uncomfortable with these sorts of bans:

• Advertisers (especially fast food vendors) spend billions of dollars trying convince us to buy their products. Why? Because we - the customers - are the key to their bottom line (and ultimately their survival as a business).
• If - in great numbers - consumers refuse to shop at a certain place - that company will suffer. Never underestimate the power you have in your pocket book (or wallet).
• If the local people of South LA didn't spend their money on junk food, then the outlets wouldn't be there (and there would be no need for legislation).

There are areas in the world where McDonald's outlets have been closing. Why? Not because of legislation but because people got sick of McDonald's food.

Continue reading »