True, but you don't have to buy the Coke. I never do.

Oh, my goodness, girlbug2, I just noticed you're from California! And you're agreeing with an ignorant hick from the sticks?

But people are not low-carbing and they are buying the Cokes and the big fries and it is not healthy. The way most people eat at fast food places is not healthy and you can't justify it because you got fat on a vegetarian diet. Most people don't get fat eating healthy foods in moderate quantities.

I'm not saying that restriction of fast food places is the answer because the same people buying fast food crap at Mickey D's can find equivalent crap at the convenience store.

LOL - I'm actually amused by the implication that somehow, because I now live in fly-over country, I'm not quite sophisticated enough to "get" what's happening out in LA.....ignore that I'm a native NY'er - originially from da-Bronx, ignore I've lived all over the country - from very poor areas to very tony areas.....yup, me's just a hick from the sticks in the Show Me state - just can't get it, nope no way no how.

Funny though - restricting development of new fast food restaurants doesn't do much to change the $3.00 in the "poor" folks pocket, doesn't eliminate all those big bad fast food joints already there, and doesn't change the fact that no one, and I mean NO ONE, has to make a choice between crap versus crap.

That is how the arguement is being framed, but doesn't mean it's true....personally I think claiming the poor are victims here is pretty insulting to them and that the desire to save them from themselves is darn arrogant.

But hey, what do I know, I live in MO....not enlightened like those Cali folks, eh?

Its all that alcohol you have there!

Seriously, I am from NYC and living in the SF Bay Area and I completely agree with you. I found the whole thing to be infuriating and offensive, especially towards poor people (I was raised in The Bronx and I know all about poverty). Maybe I should look towards the government to solve that problem too. I am sure there are some drugs they can add into my water supply (advocate groups want statins in our drinking water) and it will help me mellow out.

The issue this is supposed to address is the lack of alternate dining options and grocery stores. The only part I can see having any effect is the tax breaks for grocery stores in that region that was passed in conjunction with the fast food ban. The lack of grocery stores is a serious problem.

Well, I'm a home-grown hick. Lived in Kansas most of my life - briefly in Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois, and even a short while in Virgin Islands - but mostly Kansas. Never even been to California. And no interest in going.

As much as I do love NY.....no going back for this girl....I'm loving the midwest total hickville life way too much! Don't get me wrong - I still go back to the east coast at least three-four times a year - life out here is good!

I used to do Cali on weekends, for a few months, when I was on a gig in Colorado/Utah....nice to visit....when DH had an offer in San Diego, we decided it wasn't all that and wound up here!

I don't care what most people eat - or who they sleep with, or any of the other private things that those who know best how others should live their lives would like to legislate. If it doesn't affect me, it isn't my business. And I don't mean some abstract, I'll-end-up-paying-higher-taxes-to-deal-with-the-fallout-of-their-bad-habits way of being affected. If they want to drink Coke and eat fries, it's ok with me. I used to think everyone would be better off if they'd just follow my advice. It slowly dawned on me that other people seem to be capable of running their own lives without me.

(I would like to point out that we're all the time hearing about hikers getting lost and having to be rescued. Those rescue teams, helicopters, etc. cost lots of tax-payer money. If all those outdoorsy people would stay home on their couches like I do, we'd save a lot of money! )

If only we each came with a label letting us know what diet was best for us. Vegan is not right for me.

I found this article on Risk of overweight and obesity among semivegetarian, lactovegetarian, and vegan women. (Not sure if you'll be able to see it; I may have access through my university. But put "obese vegans" into google; you'll find much discussion of the topic.)

From the article: "The prevalence of overweight or obesity (BMI > 25) was 40% among omnivores, 29% among both semivegetarians and vegans, and 25% among lactovegetarians."

I know from personal experience that when I eat a vegan diet, I'm in that 29% which is overweight or obese.

This is the problem with public health type advice which is based on what is statistically best for the most people. I'm not a statistic; I'm an anecdote. This anecdote needs to eat low carb. When I'm eating low-carb I can eat "in moderate quantities," because I'm not frickin' hungry all the time. In fact, I'll go further - I don't think it would be possible for me to eat as much as I did when I was vegan, because I'm full/satisfied and simply can't comfortably eat more.

Great! You don't mind then if I open that little pr0n shop on your block? I guess if you do mind, you just won't patronize me and I'll go out of business.

There's a difference between porn and fast food.

And how do you know I won't patronize your shop?

I still and have always thought the government can do a lot in public health issues. And someone else pointed out putting clorine (gasp, a cancer causing chemical) in the water has probably saved more people at less cost and side effects than any other thing in the world.

Res food:

We need a proper food pyramid (not written by agribusiness)

Move a several percent of the food subsidies over the vegetables and fruit, and most of it to small farmers close to major population areas

Get cheap produce into the areas that are currently underserved, a FEW subsidies if necessary

Fund a little research on getting fruit and veggies CONSUMED by those demographic groups which are currently eating dangerously low amounts now

Run public education in areas where folks aren't getting their veggies.

Heavy handedness not needed in any of this

Yes, teenagers and children aren't usually allowed in porn shops. Fast food places will sell to pretty much anyone who walks in the door, including children on their way to or from school - regardless of the parents' wishes.

Exactly!