Banned in Boston: Trans fats

Flickr user bunchofpants

Will they be healthier?

Featured Topic | Posted 37 weeks 3 days ago

Put down that french fry.

Boston health regulators this week approved a ban on artery-clogging trans fat in restaurants and grocery stores, similar to a ban instituted in New York City. The first phase of the ban goes into effect in September and will apply to the use of cooking oils, shortening and margarine that contains artificial trans fat. The makers of baked goods will have a year to eliminate trans fat from their products.

Should government be in the business of telling businesses how to make food? Or is there a compelling public interest?

Ben likes: Anatomy of a scare

Elizabeth M. Whelan/The American

The New York City Health Department's regulatory move appears to mark the first time a health agency has taken action against safe, legal foods -- in this case, certain margarines and cooking oils -- instead of disease-causing organisms. The regulatory demonization of trans fats and the underlying "trans-fat-phobia" reveal a good deal about how the media and consumers react to a health scare, how scientists respond (or do not), and what lies ahead for other food ingredients.

Most of the trans fats in our diet are derived from man-made partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans fats also occur naturally in beef, lamb, and dairy products). In recent years, trans fats have accounted for about 3-4 percent of our total calorie intake, but given the food industry's race to get trans fats out of many foods, the percentage of our total calories today that is trans fats is probably more like 1-2 percent.

Joel likes: Big Apple no longer Fat City

Q&A with Marion Nestle/Salon

This is a situation in which you have a demonstrably harmful substance that eliminating will make absolutely no difference whatsoever to anybody's experience. Why wouldn't the city want to get rid of something that's harmful? It won't taste any different. It won't cost any more. Nobody will notice it.

People have to wear seat belts. You can't smoke on airplanes. This is in the same category, but this is one that nobody is going to notice. Because it makes absolutely no difference, except to health. And it's the best kind of public health intervention, because it's one that people don't have to think about.