Respect Authority

Joining taboos like illegal drugs and pedophiles, fast-food restaurants may soon become the next thing not allowed near schools. 

Queens Councilman Eric Gioia is proposing that new fast-food restaurants be prohibited within a tenth of a mile of existing schools — which in New York City geography might as well be five miles — a reaction to unsurprising study data showing young teenagers tend to be fatter when there are fast-food restaurants within one block of their school. The suggestion comes on top of new regulations limiting the sugar content of drinks sold in schools, which put the kibosh on soda and juice sales earlier this month. 

Though the study results themselves have caused no small amount of ire — restaurant advocates argue that the survey doesn’t establish cause-and-effect, nor does it take into account that fast-food eateries offer more than just cheesebrugers — I have no problem accepting that teens educated within a block of a McDonald’s will go there, and often. There was a brief period in my own high schools days where “lunch” meant Twix and Mountain Dew, until some equally invasive rule-making in Maryland public schools left vending machines turned off until after fifth period. 

Rather, this proposal irks me on principle. It’s certainly necessary to acknowledge the “if you build it, they will come” mentality that dictates many a young teen’s food choices, but it is no way necessary to cater to it. By taking away kids’ opportunity to make a consciously intelligent decision with respect to food, we’re doing nothing to encouarge that kind of decision-making in other walks of life — say, after they leave this kind of regulated eating environment. 

Nor is fast-food really the root of the problem. I’ve stood in a bodega at 8 a.m. with my coffee and newspapers and watched people of all ages buy candy, soda and chips for breakfast. At no time of the day or night have I seen either the Taco Bell/Pizza Hut combo store, or the Crown Fried Chicken near my apartment, devoid of customers. The bottom line is that junk food tastes fairly incredible, and unless the long-term effects of poor eating can be impressed upon people at a young age — and in an educational, rather than passive-aggressive way — we stand virtually no chance of eradicating obesity in this country. For every variation on the “make your own salad” eatery, there will be five McDonald’s, but more importantly - they will always sell ice cream at the grocery store, or candy at the bodega, or bacon bits right next to the eight choices of lettuce. There will always be a way to eat shitty food, and as long as there is - and unless we really and truly know better - we’ll always do it.