Stop Me Before I Eat Again

Check out this story from the New York Times (free registration required) concerning the move by the New York City Council to change the City zoning laws in order to limit the number of fast food restauarants that could set up shop in the City. The proposal's sponsor, Joel Rivera, got the idea from the town of Calistoga, California that

banned McDonald’s and other fast-food chains to preserve the uniqueness and small-town charm of the city’s commercial areas. Mr. Rivera wants to restrict them for another reason: to fight chronic obesity, particularly in poor neighborhoods. About 1 in 5 New Yorkers is obese, according to the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Behold our Brave New World: Junk food and overconsumption are the new vices from which the American people must be protected. Are parental consent laws on the horizon? Will little Jimmy need to be accompanied by an adult to get that Big Mac or Happy Meal?

 

On a side ntoe, this story is a great illustration of the differences between Downstate and Upstate New York.  No municipality in Upstate New York (except maybe Ithaca, but that's a whole other story) would ever take a proposal like this seriously.  Don't mess with our junk food if you know what's good for you.