To help the British government fight the national battle against obesity, the council of Waltham Forest in east London is set to ban the setting up of fast food outlets 400 meters from schools, parks and youth centers.

Waltham Forest will make history by being the first local authority in U.K. to make the prohibition after a public consultation indicated 93 percent of residents are in favor of the ban.

The measure has also the support of Children's Secretary Ed Balls, who said there was no point in prohibiting junk food in schools if students could buy it from nearby dining establishments.

Aside from seeking to improve the nutritional content of meals among Briton school children, the measure also attempts to cut litter in the borough. Waltham Forest registered a higher than national obesity average of 17.2 percent as against 15 percent. In addition, 11.5 percent of Waltham Forest youth are overweight.

In justifying the ban, Clyde Loakes, leader of the borough council, told Guardian Unlimited, "We don't want to tell people how to live their lives - but at the moment residents simple don't have enough choice because of the amount of fast food takeaways."

Included in the proposed ban are hamburger joints, fried chicken stalls and kebab shops.