title: Diet and obesity in Los Angeles County 2007-2012: Is there a measurable effect of the 2008 "Fast-Food Ban"?
abstract: We evaluate the impact of the "Los Angeles Fast-Food Ban", a zoning regulation that has restricted opening/remodeling of standalone fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles since 2008. Food retail permits issued after the ban are more often for small food/convenience stores and less often for larger restaurants not part of a chain in South Los Angeles compared to other areas; there are no significant differences in the share of new fast-food chain outlets, other chain restaurants, or large food markets. About 10% of food outlets are new since the regulation, but there is little evidence that the composition has changed differentially across areas. Data from the California Health Interview Survey show that fast-food consumption and overweight/obesity rates have increased from 2007 to 2011/2012 in all areas. The increase in the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity since the ban has been significantly larger in South Los Angeles than elsewhere. A positive development has been a drop in soft drink consumption since 2007, but that drop is of similar magnitude in all areas.
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, United States.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.affiliation: Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States. Electronic address: hattori@email.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hattori
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012147:Restaurants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: California; Diet; Fast food; Food environment; Los Angeles County; Overweight/obesity