Can Fast-food Bans Reduce Obesity? Fat Chance, Study Finds

The theory that cities can fight obesity in low-income areas by restricting the number of new fast-food restaurants proved slim on evidence and laden with a heaping portion of questionable assumptions, a new study concludes.

In a study published Oct. 6 in the online edition of the journal Health Affairs, California-based Rand Corp. researchers argue that bans on new fast-food establishments, like the one Los Angeles passed in July 2008, won't have much effect on obesity. The study exposed as myth the notion that poor and low-income neighborhoods in South Los Angeles were overrun with fast-food eateries, which city lawmakers blamed for the region's high obesity rates and higher body mass index. The density per capita of major fast-food establishments such as McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut is actually 50 percent higher in the city's more affluent Westside, researchers Roland Sturm and Deborah A. Cohen stated.

Another assumption underlying the fast-food ban is that fast-food eateries sell food that is less healthy than sit-down restaurants. To the contrary, the researchers pointed out that at Romano's Macaroni Grill, the average lunch sandwich has 1,680 calories. That's the equivalent of more than three Big Macs. Or sample this: Some appetizers at Outback Steakhouse exceed 2,000 calories, more than many health agencies' recommended daily intake of calories.

The research served up some other surprising results, namely that there is no difference in fruit and vegetable consumption between South Los Angeles residents and residents in other parts of the city. Nor was there any difference in the percentage of residents who exercise vigorously for 300 minutes or more per week.

So why are obesity rates higher in South L.A.? The researchers found that residents there watch more television and snack more often on foods containing empty calories, such as candy, cookies and sweetened soft drinks. Such foods are sold in vending machines and places that don't require fast-food licenses. The authors suggest that a tax on sugary soft drinks and snack foods could take a bite out of their profitability and make them less ubiquitous.

The researchers also recommend treating people like adults rather than simply taking away choices. More regulations such as mandatory menu labeling to show how many calories entrees contain could lead customers to rethink their options and thus become more health-conscious eaters.

Though fast-food restaurants may offer society an easy scapegoat for a bloated population, the latest research should give local governments more substantial policy ideas to chew on as they seek new ways to take on this weighty issue.