Group opposes Pr. George’s efforts to regulate fast food

WASHINGTON – A proposal to limit what some fast food restaurants serve and where they are located in Prince George’s County is coming under fire.

The county council Wednesday afternoon proposed fast food zoning restrictions in an effort to combat the nation’s growing obesity epidemic.

According to the proposal, the council would be able to review business development plans “in order to enhance the availability of healthful eating alternatives, reduce detrimental food and beverage consumption and to reduce blight.”

The Center for Consumer Freedom, an organization that advocates for protecting consumer choices, opposes the county’s proposal to regulate residents’ food and drink choices.

“The proposal assumes residents are too stupid to make their own food decisions,” the center wrote in a statement.

Justin Wilson, a research analyst for the Center for Consumer Freedom, sees the proposal as Big Brother policing Big Macs.

“At what point is it OK for the government to decide how and where we eat?” he says.

WTOP’s Del Walters contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up