The built environment and fast food
- Fast food outlets are more prominent in disadvantaged localities
- Fast food close to schools and child care centres – definate increase in obesity in children
- Drive throughs
- Branding
Food accessibility
“There is a logical link between exposure to healthy food options and healthy eating, with research suggesting that access to a supermarket or other reliable source of fresh, healthy produce will improve dietary intake. Attempts to quantify this relationship, however, have been based on mixed methods and have produced mixed results.”
(University of NSW, 2011)
Stopping Fast food development
with Government regulation:
- Requiring fast food outlets to locate a minimum distance from youth oriented facilites such as schools and playgrounds.
- Limiting the total number or per captia number of fast food outlets in a community
- Limiting the proximity of all fast food outlets to each other.
- Charging fees to fast food outlets and using the proceeds to mitigate the impact of poor nutritional content by funding programs and education.
- Prohibiting drive through service and limiting trading hours.
- A precedent may be just around the corner.
