By Daniel B. Wood
The Christian Science Monitor

Los Angeles - Pointing south from the corner of Figueroa and Adams in South Central L.A., Tanisha Jackson says when it comes to fast food, her community “has it all.”

“If you want it cheap and quick - McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken - we’ve got it,” says the mother of two.

Some city officials see the myriad fast-food outlets as a health problem and are seeking change. “Fast food is primarily the only option for those who live and work here,” says City Councilwoman Jan Perry. “It’s become a public-health issue that residents be given healthier choices.”

She has introduced a two-year moratorium on new fast-food outlets in this part of the city, where small, single-family homes dominate and gangs thrive in a rough urban landscape.

Many national food and health experts say the measure - which is slated for a vote on Sept. 18 - may be the first example of a health-zoning law in the United States. In 2006, New York City health committee chairman Joel Rivera lobbied against uncontrolled growth of fast-food chains, but did not introduce legislation. These observers are applauding the idea as a way to raise awareness about America’s obesity epidemic, which hits poorer neighborhoods disproportionately.

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