August 20th, 2008

SoundBytes 155: Should Politicians Decide Which Restaurants You Can Choose From?

Posted in  Government  SoundBytes podcasts 
Author: SoundBytes || Location: Lewisville, Texas, USA

Should Politicians Decide Which Restaurants You Can Choose From?

Dr. Merrill Matthews of the Institute for Policy Innovation say Los Angeles may lose some fast-food freedom.

A Los Angeles city councilwoman thinks Angelenos are too fat. So she’s pushing legislation that bans new fast food restaurants like McDonalds and KFC.

While Los Angeles does have an obesity rate some 4 percentage points higher than the national average, lower-income areas tend to have higher obesity levels.  
Of course, there’s already some 400 fast-food restaurants in the targeted area. So the bill doesn’t eliminate access to fast food.  

And McDonalds serves fresh salads and yogurt—if people want to buy them. While more expensive restaurants often serve hamburgers and fried chicken. So why target fast food?

The real question is whether the government should decide your restaurant options or what you eat.  

What really needs slimming down in Los Angeles is the government.

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