Fast food often catches a lot of criticism for being caloric and contributing to weight gain. So what happens when a city tries to restrict fast food openings in poorer areas in hopes of reducing obesity?
The obesity level actually fails to drop, according to a new study from the non-profit RAND Corporation that was funded by the National Institute of Health.
In fact, overweight and obesity rates have increased faster in the targeted areas than the rest of L.A. or the U.S. since Los Angeles passed the ordinance in 2008.
Most food outlets in the targeted area were unaffected by the ordinance, which restricted openings and expansion of stand-alone fast food restaurants thereby limiting its effectiveness. This means that small food stores and restaurants with limited seating were exempt from the new restrictions.
There was one silver lining: soft drink consumption fell, though other areas of L.A. saw a similar drop.