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In South Central L. A. , teenagers scarf down fast food on their way to school.

For me, it's good. I know it's bad but I still eat it.

And a mother who swimmingly drives through McDonald's to save time.

There's never anyplace you can go over here to buy like organic food, OK? There's no Trader Joe's over here. I / go all the way to Torrance to Trader Joe's.

That's 15 miles away in L. A. traffic. Critics call it "food apartheid. "

45% of the restaurants in south L. A. are fast food restaurants. That's a pretty shocking statistic.

Especially compared to the city's west side, where only 16 percent of restaurants serve fast food. City Councilwoman Jane Perry is pushing for a moratorium that would stop any new fast food places from opening in South Central. She hopes to see more restaurants and grocery stores like the one about to break ground. If approved by city council, the ban would cover 32 square miles and some say that hurts small businesses.

Because we think of the big fast food chains. What happens if I decide I want to open a hamburger joint in that area?

Joe Hicks runs an economic empowerment group. He says fast food places provide jobs and people choose to eat there because the food tastes good and doesn't cost much.

So it's insulting to insist that government has to tell people what's good to them or not.

The Health Department says more South Central children are obese compared to other kids in L. A. County. Even though the chains have added healthier options to their menus, supporters of the ban are demanding more grocery stores and casual restaurants that serve fresh vegetables and food that's not fried.

With gas prices, it still would be a lot more convenient if we were in that neighborhood.

They're probably gonna vote on the moratorium in the fall. And again, if it passes, it doesn't mean these go away, just means no new ones would be allowed to be built.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.