In a first of its kind move, the Los Angeles city council on Tuesday approved a one-year ban on new fast-food outlets in a low-income neighborhood with a high incidence of obesity and diabetes.
The moratorium aims to attract restaurants in the 32-square mile area of South Los Angeles to offer healthier food choices. The ban covers the 500,000 people living in the area, residents of which are mainly Latinos and African-Americans.
The law, passed 12-0, has been criticized by representatives of fast-food chains who argue they already offer healthier food items on their menus.
If approved by the mayor, the ordinance would put a moratorium on construction of new fast-food outlets in the area and could also be extended for a second year.
Nearly 73 percent of South Los Angeles restaurants were fast food, compared with 42 percent in West Los Angeles, the BBC reported.
The Los Angeles law comes on the heels of a state ban on artificial trans fats last week. Under the new legislation, trans fats will be outlawed in restaurants across the state beginning in 2010.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, about 30 percent of adults in South Los Angeles are obese, compared with 19 percent for the metropolitan area.
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