LA City Council Endorses Meatless Mondays

The Meatless Monday campaign has gained and lost popularity over the last few decades, originating as a way to support the troops during World War II, and reemerging in 2003 in a promotion by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Now the City Council of Los Angeles is working to integrate this meatless trend into the homes of more people.

The Los Angeles City Council has already come a long way in banning trans-fats and opposing fast-food restaurants. Now they are aiming to make city residents feel guilty about what they eat with a Meatless Monday resolution On Friday the resolution passed in a 14-0 vote officially urging residents to adopt a personal pledge to avoid meat on Monday’s. This resolution is a far cry away from New York City’s mandatory soda ban, and the police will not be legally enforcing this resolution, checking packed lunches and banning the purchase of meat. Ultimately the resolution should start a trend in the city to make residents healthier and reduce environmental waste.

Councilwoman Jan Perry was instrumental in passing this resolution, and also called a ban on new fast-food restaurant in South Los Angeles as a method to curb obesity. Perry said “we can reduce saturated fats and reduce the risk of heart disease by 19 percent. While this is a symbolic gesture, it is asking people to think about the food choices they make. Eating less meat can reverse some of our nation’s most common illnesses.”

Other councilmen have joined with Perry in supporting Meatless Mondays, including a councilman whose son was recently diagnosed with diabetes. The Food Policy Council initially developed this proposal, part of a larger agenda to encourage healthy foods in Los Angeles.