Health Zoning

There a new effort underway in L.A. by the nanny-staters to force people to eat more healthy food by banning new fast food restaurants:

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.

There are a couple of problems with the first few paragraphs of this story. Number one, when the councilwoman insists that "the people don't want them", she's just making that up. Fast food companies, especially the big chain operations, don't build stores where there is no demand. People are not required to eat there but choose to do so. It's called freedom.

Secondly, the fast food critics choose a location within one-quarter mile of a huge university which means there are tens of thousands of college students running around the area, many of whom are in a hurry or have limited funds. Of course they're going to gravitate toward fast food joints and of course the chains are going to build them there. Again, freedom.

It's a silly story.