Fight On Fat: The Skinny On A New Proposal Attacking Fat And Fatty Foods

We all know or at least feel that (for the most part) it’s “easier” to eat less and healthier when preparing our own meals. Yet, it’s likely that most of us enjoy a night off (from cooking and kitchen duty) and a night out. And, now it seems that eating out may make it easier for us to make healthy, or at least healthier choices.

According to reports, it appears that New York City is taking major steps and strides to keep diners fit, trim, and healthy, as the New York City Department of Health unveiled a proposal that call for a ban on all trans fats from New York restaurants, though a public hearing is still pending and scheduled for October 30.

Additionally, the proposal also calls for all restaurants to provide diners with nutritional information of foods/meals they order including calorie count.

According to industry experts, trans fats are prevalent in oils used for the preparation of many common foods such as doughnuts, French fries, and many pastries. Now the Food and Drug Administration is requiring that food labels clearly feature a list of trans fats, including margarine, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening and shortening.

In fact, New York has already put in place a deliberate ban on trans fats, but notes that 30 to 60 percent of eateries were reluctant to institute the change.

According to officials, New York will be the first city to enforce the ban citywide, but, they (the experts) note that Chicago is also contemplating the doing the same. And, according to industry officials the only other significant ban is imposed in North Carolina, where trans fats have been banned from all school foods.

Professionals point out that trans fats have shown a link to increases in cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

With that stated, authorities assert that this measure had extreme implications for public health. Should it be implemented nationwide, experts surmise that the ban on can save an estimated 50,000 lives annually.

And, while many authorities “do” feel some measures are necessary and support the proposal, they suggest that the benefits may be somewhat “exaggerated” and fear that it will be a tradeoff on one “evil” for another.

They emphasize that such drastic measures and changes must be approached and treated with care and caution making sure that trans fats are not merely replace by equally damaging and dangerous saturated fats, found in animal and dairy products and causing the same and/or similar health concerns.