A large order of McDonald’s french fries is shown May 22, 2008. (Sam Mircovich/Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -
The Los Angeles City Council
unanimously voted on Tuesday to put a one-year ban on new
fast-food restaurants in one of the city's poorest areas,
marking the latest effort by a municipality to fight rising
obesity rates.

If approved by the mayor, the ordinance would put a
moratorium on construction of new fast-food outlets in a
32-square-mile (82-sq-km) area of Los Angeles. The measure
could also be extended for a second year.

The change would affect about half a million Angelenos
living in an area that supporters say already has about 400
fast-food eateries and few grocery stores or other outlets for
fresh, healthy food.

The 13-0 vote came about a year after research found that
roughly 30 percent of children living in the South Los Angeles,
West Adams, Baldwin Hills and Leimert Park areas are obese
compared to about 21 percent in the rest of the city.

The moratorium would also be accompanied by moves to
encourage more grocery chains and fresh food stores to open for
business, supporters said.

Fast-food chains opposed the measure, saying that their
industry was being unfairly blamed for causing the childhood
obesity epidemic.

“Obesity is principally related to what and how much a
consumer eats, not where he eats,” Andrew Puzder, Chief
Executive of Carl's Jr parent CKE Restaurants Inc, said in a
letter to Council President Eric Garcetti.

Andrew Casana, spokesman for the California Restaurant
Association, said fast-food companies were working to block
ordinance or to make amendments to it.

“We have not ruled out lawsuits,” Casana said.

Several U.S. cities have adopted measures forcing the
restaurant industry to adopt healthier standards. California
banned the sale of soft drinks in middle and elementary schools
in 2003 and a new law requires fast-food restaurants in New
York to post calorie counts above the service counter.