Banning KFC, McDonald's Near Schools — How Western Australia Plans To Tackle Obesity

Western Australia has proposed banning fast-food giants, including Yum! Brands Inc.'s YUM KFC and McDonald’s Corp. MCD, from near schools and slashing their opening hours as it looks to tackle the growing obesity problems in the region.

What Happened: A report released by the state's Department of Health outlined how the proximity, location and density of fast food outlets impact dietary intake and obesity in the region.

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It showed that one in four children and 71% of adults in Western Australia are overweight or obese and that about 86% of schools have at least one fast-food outlet within a kilometer.

The health department proposed curbing fast-food outlets from operating near schools. It also proposed "building healthy food outlets" near these areas to "facilitate multiple activities as part of one trip."

"Improving community food environments is an equitable approach to support consumers to make healthier food and beverage choices and reduce their risk of obesity and chronic diseases," the Department of Health said.

The report added that the studies conducted during 2017 and 2019 showed that Perth schools have an average of 1.8 fast-food outlets within 400m and 8.1 outlets within 1km. 

Why It Matters: Australia has faced severe challenges in dealing with obesity among children and young adults. Another report recently found that less than 7% of Australians eat a healthy diet based on the country's dietary guidelines, reported SBS News. It added that Australia had made no progress in tackling obesity.

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