In a bid to curb the bad eating habits of some inhabitants of Los Angeles, city officials have approved a law which forbids new fast-food outlets opening up in one area of the city for one whole year.

Poor told to eat healthy
The 32-square mile area of South Los Angeles is a poorer neighbourhood, home to predominantely Hispanic and African American families who the city council wishes to encourage to eat more healthily.

Obesity blamed on fast food
Jan Perry, spokesperson for the Los Angeles City Council defined a fast-food establishment as somewhere with a "limited menu", that sells or prepares food in advance, do not offer waiter service and serve food in disposable packaging.

Perry said that the area needs to find the right alternatives to easy, quick food-on-the-go: "We need to attract sit-down restaurants, full service grocery stores and healthy good alternatives and we need to do in an aggressive manner."

According to official statistics, 30% of children in the area are obese, however the restaurant industry have hit back, complaining that the blame shouldn't be placed entirely at their door. Andrew Puzder, Chief Executive of Carl's Jr parent CKE Restaurants Inc argues that it's not down to the restaurant but the individual: «Obesity is principally related to what and how much a consumer eats, not where he eats »
Don't the two go hand in hand?