by Betty Carew

Created on: June 05, 2009   Last Updated: June 21, 2009

Calistoga is a city of 5,190 people in California and it has got what a lot of other cities in America want and that is healthy zoning laws that prohibit the building of any more fast food outlets on their blocks. Cities are looking for ways to cut down on the amount of fast food restaurants that are moving into their neighborhood and this is just one way of how healthy zoning laws are fighting back against fast foods.

Calistoga's healthy zoning law

In 1996 Calistoga passed a law which is section 17.22.020(D) (2) of the Calistoga municipal code that bans all formula restaurants. A formula restaurant is defined as one that has standardized menus and a name, appearance and logo identical to another restaurant located elsewhere. To put this formula in prospective it means that all McDonalds, Burger Kings and other fast food chains will not be allowed to enter the gates of Calistoga. If this sounds innovative in a fast food globalized world, it is.

New York's contribution

New York wants this law passed in a big way. They have started by limiting the number of fast food outlets by simply changing the zoning laws to healthy zoning laws. These laws are being put into place in hopes of fighting the chronic obesity that has hit North America today. This is not for just adults; these laws are to help the children of an obese generation.

Healthy zoning laws near schools

In 2003 a survey was done in New York of 3000 New York elementary school children and the results were astounding. They found that twenty four percent of these children were obese while nineteen percent were classed as overweight; they also found that there were many fast food restaurants within walking distance of the school. Healthy zoning laws can cut these numbers down. Without the availability of so many fast food outlets we are bound to see a difference in the problem of weight that faces North America and the world today. Any new restaurant that happens to get by the healthy zoning law has got to be 500 meters from any school.

Density of fast food restaurants

For some cities this healthy zoning law is too late and this is evident when you can stand on a street corner and see McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and White Castle from the same street corner without having to move. However it is not too late to pass laws making sure that all these outlets serve healthy foods and pass a healthy zoning law for other fast food companies that may still want to take

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