A recent story on msnbc.com reported that citizens in the United States are on average twice as fat as our European counterparts. And it’s leading us down a one-way street to Broke Town. Obesity leads to all kinds of chronic ailments that add $100-$150 billion in annual healthcare costs, according to a report published in the journal Health Affairs.
About 33 percent of Americans are obese, compared with 17 percent in 10 European countries reviewed.
We each need to do our part. But things have gotten so dire here in the U.S. that one city official is looking to put a moratorium on the opening of fast food joints.
The ordinance proposed by Councilwoman Jan Perry would stop new fast-food restaurants from opening in southern Los Angeles, California for up to two years. The area is reported to have the most fast food restaurants in the country.
“While limiting fast-food restaurants isn’t a solution in itself, it’s an important piece of the puzzle,” said Mark Vallianatos, director of the Center for Food and Justice at Occidental College.
