Board Considers Limits on Fast Food

By Rebecca Rosen Lum, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Jan. 25–Contra Costa supervisors Tuesday unanimously backed the idea of curbing children’s access to high-fat fast food, but not before some questioned whether the county should be restricting restaurants.

“Our focus has to be on getting our financial house in order,” said Supervisor Gayle Uilkema of Lafayette. “I don’t know if we should be limiting restaurants as we do bars. That is another land-use issue that is going to be extremely controversial.”

Troubled by the soaring incidence of obesity among children and teens, Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier of Concord wants the county to limit the number of new fast-food restaurants built in unincorporated areas. He also wants to promote fitness and good nutrition among the county’s youngest residents.

Details of his plan have yet to be worked out. County supervisors Tuesday directed staff to work with schools to develop healthier cafeteria lunches; encourage restaurants to print ingredients; and help parks and recreation sites cut contracts with junk food and soft drink distributors in favor of more nutritional alternatives.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the proportion of overweight teens tripled from 1980 to 2002. Youngsters are increasingly being diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease and other ailments related to obesity.

Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg said one of the county’s core responsibilities is to provide health care.

“When you think of the amount of money used each year on treatment, it is very appropriate that this board … address this problem,” he said.

Contra Costa would not be the first local government to curb the number of fast-food outlets. Eight California cities and others across the nation have already done so — although generally to control land use or preserve town character, not to attack childhood obesity.

Once a Contra Costa plan is firmed up, supervisors will consider launching it in unincorporated areas. DeSaulnier said he hopes the idea will spread to cities in the county, similar to how smoking restrictions did two decades ago. Orinda is considering limiting fast-food restaurants by banning drive-throughs.

Restricting fast-food restaurants is just part of the solution to childhood obesity, said Wendel Brunner, director of public health.

In some parts of the county, “there’s nothing but traffic, asphalt and cement,” he said. “Public health has to work with land-use planners on development of places where kids can play and adults can get a little exercise, too. This isn’t ‘Let’s ban all McDonald’s’. This is about creating an environment in which people can make healthy choices.”

Times staff writer Sandra Wiederkehr contributed to this story. Rebecca Rosen Lum covers county government. Reach her at 925-977-8506 or rrosenlum@cctimes.com.

—–

Copyright (c) 2006, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

NYSE:MCD,