The Ban Of Fast Food Wages On In Detroit

At any given time you will see people simply stopping for fast food. Why do people stop at these fast food places? As one resident had put it she simply likes the food and believes there should be more fast food restaurants in the area.

As we all remember there is a rebuttal on this issue from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

As the city of Detroit made news and not in a good way of being ranked the number fourth city for cases of heart disease, asked Mayor Bing to impose a ban on new fast food restaurants trying to come to the Detroit area. The group had firmly stated that Detroit has too many fast food restaurants at least 73 of them which includes McDonald's, Burger King and KFC by their count. They also added that these types of eateries are a contributing factor to the cities health problems by directly citing the reference of ranking number four for heart disease in the nation.

Mayor Bing has already indicate that this request is most likely not going to see light. In mid December, the Mayor's spokesman Dan Lijana had explained that not only do fast food restaurants provide new employment opportunities in the city, they also heighten the economy for Detroit.

This debate seems to an ongoing issue and is starting to hit the fact of interfering with the freedom of choice and if the government should be allowed to tread on this choice and dictate to citizens what they are allowed to consume and what they cannot. If they are allowed to tread on American's free choice does that place American's in a dictatorship.

Meredith Freeman, Detroit program director for the Fair Food Network, a national advocacy organization based in Ann Arbor states her view points on the matter, noting that people in Detroit are allowed their choices just like any other place. If people decide to go to McDonald's it is their choice. However, good food should be available so they can have a choice and that is what is missing.

Farmer Jack had closed down it's stores in 2007. This had left at least 900,000 Detroit residents without a grocer within 139 square miles. Farmer Jack was a national store. There are a lot of independent grocery stores around however, 40% of grocer income is going outside the city.

Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting in 2007 conducted a study with the conclusion showing that Detroit is under-served by grocers. It also indicated that access to healthy foods needs mass improvement or residents will suffer premature illness and even death.

Many residents of Detroit dispute that the city does not exclusively hold the title of fast food restaurants or health issues.

Last years report from Trust for America's Health had shown Michigan in the ninth ranking for obesity in the nation. Critics are calling attention to the fact that the physicians group are not going nationwide on the ban.

Detroit City Council Woman, Saunteel Jenkins believes the government should not dictate what people are allowed to consume. She also notes that obesity is a state wide problem and Detroit is unfairly the target.

The reason the physicians group is targeting Detroit is due to the cities reputation of being progressive with the times and according to Susan Levine could ignite a national discussion about fast food. The same request were also made to Washington, D.C. and Chicago this fall. They were rejected.

Levine who is the dietician for physicians group states she hopes they have planted a seed in the minds of politicians throughout the country. Continuing to note it does take the government a long time to catch up to science citing the dangers of cigarettes.

Response from a few cities

Over the years Detroit has toyed with the idea of restricting fast food restaurants. In 2005, former Mayor Kuame Kilpatrick had advocated then quickly dumped a 2% fat tax on restaurants in order to raise funds for health initiatives in the city, which had reported high numbers of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Mayor Bing in no uncertain terms has made it known he will not deter businesses from opening in Detroit but wants the Health Department to educate citizens on making health choices.

Andy Deloney, spokesperson for the Michigan Restaurant Association has stated that “Restaurants do not lead to obesity”. Having an unhealthy lifestyle leads to obesity.

They do not believe the answer to obesity is telling people what they can and cannot consume nor is halting access to particular foods through government mandate. It is about educating people in making healthy choices and letting them make their own decisions.

New York City in 2008, was the nation's first city to impose that restaurants post calories next to prices on the menus.

This will be expanding to all states due to a provision in last years national health care reform.

At the exact time last year, Los Angeles had imposed a ban on fast food restaurants in the neighborhoods of the lowest incomes and unhealthiest.

That ban has now expired however, the city has put into effect an ordinance in which bans fast food establishments from opening within one half mile of existing establishments.

According to Lark Galloway-Gilliam, executive director of Community Health Councils Inc., in Los Angeles, by limiting under-served, over immersed neighborhoods is part of a larger conversation nationally to establish actions and land-use plans which advocate health.

The discussion around food, obesity and nutrition is grasping the country and that is just one idea. People need to be alert and pay attention that we are killing ourselves.

Detroit citizens want to eat healthy

Meanwhile in the city of Detroit, activists are currently working on improving access to fresh food. These efforts include support of existing grocers, promoting urban gardening and partnerships with public markets.

The Fair Food Network in August had started an effort that gives inspiration for fresh food purchases at five produce markets within the city which includes Eastern Market for residents that rely on food stamps.

For each twenty dollars that was spent on Michigan grown produce at the market with a bridge card was matched with funds raised from local organizations. Almost, $80,000 was dispersed during the twelve week campaign. Which notes according to Freeman exhibits the demand for fresh food.

Freeman notes that residents of Detroit wish to eat very well and they will if it is affordable and available.

Currently, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation is working with 81 grocers in the area of improvements and even expansions.

Grocers such as Metro Foodland altering their marketing campaign to healthy eating, providing in store labeling on various products, healthy recipes and food demonstrations. Total improvements are being done by stores such as Grand Price Supermarket at Grand River.

People who eat healthy still have the desire for fast food from time to time even fully knowing it is not necessarily healthy. Now and then people just want a quick hamburger and shake and fast food is the quickest way. It does not mean because there are fast food restaurants in the area that residents are going to constantly consume these foods. You can basically go to any grocers and buy sweets and chips. These are not healthy either, so will these producers be facing a ban next.

The bottom line is people have the right to choice and even if a ban is imposed on fast food that does not necessarily mean people will not access foods in which are not healthy.