Los Angeles City Council declares all future Mondays to be 'meatless'

The Los Angeles City Council has declared every Monday to be a so-called 'meatless Monday,' and is urging all residents to participate in the weekly day of vegetarianism.

NBC Los Angeles reports that with the vote Los Angeles has become the largest city to embrace the Meatless Monday campaign, a nonprofit with the goal of cutting down on meat consumption for health and environmental reasons.

Neither city officials nor law enforcement will be allowed to force residents to not eat meat, The Los Angeles Daily News reports. Rather, the resolution is meant to encourage residents to not eat meat once a week in the hopes of starting a city-wide trend.

Councilwoman Jan Perry, who has pushed for a ban on new fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles, said the resolution is part of an overall "good food" agenda for the city.

"We can reduce saturated fats and reduce the risk of heart disease by 19 percent," Perry said according to the Los Angeles Daily News. "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."

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