Schools next to fast food restaurants

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Springfield has multiple schools in close proximity to fast food restaurants. Arthur T. Talmadge Elementary School is literally across the street from a McDonalds.

New York City councilman Eric Gioia is proposing to prohibit fast food restaurants from being within one-tenth of a mile of a school.

His idea was inspired by a study which revealed that students whose schools were near fast food restaurants were 5 percent more likely to be obese.

22News asked Springfield residents if they think having a school in such close proximity to a fast food restaurant is a problem.

Most agreed it wasn't. Marge Kuoco said "They have fruit now. They have fish. It's not like it used to be where it was just french fries and hamburgers."

Suzanne Lemieux blamed the economy for the problem, saying "People are actually forced to go to fast food areas where they can get a meal for three dollars."