NYC Bans Trans Fats - Debate?

[Fitswimmer]

I dunno, I don't think it's the same thing. I liken this to restaurants being required to wash their produce before serving it. The consumer will not be able to tell the difference. Nobody's saying that people shouldn't be able to eat fries when they want to, just what they should be cooked in.
Oh, by the way, skinny people have heart disease and high cholesterol, too. You should watch your karma the way you're throwing around all this blame on the "fat people".

Of course it isn't true that ONLY overweight people have health problems, but that won't stop politicians from using it as an excuse to tax "bad" foods. We've been inundated with news stories about the obesity epidemic, which is just a politically correct way of saying we have too many fat people in this country and that they have more health problems than thin people-diabetes, heart disease, orthopedic problems, etc.

BTW-the karma is already here-I was the skinny one in my family until I turned 35. Now, I'm fat, over 40 lbs more than I weighed then.

 

[oxfordcircus]

I think a lot of people are missing something here. Restaurants will still use fats and make the same greasy (or non-greasy, as it were) foods that they're making now, they'll just be using natural fats instead of nasty fats. The restaurant patron will not know the difference, if anything, the food may just end up tasting better.
People are going to eat what they're going to eat. This has nothing to do with legislating a lifestyle. It has everything to do with removing a product from the market that should never have been in the hands (and stomachs) of consumers in the first place. I, for one, hope more cities follow this example.

When I first heard this story yesterday, I was thinking "this trans fat must be really bad stuff for it to top the legislative agenda of America's largest city." Then the reporter listed the negative effects of trans fats: it raises your bad cholestorol. I can see how you think this is a positive or at least neutral act by the city, but to me this reeks of paternalistic governing. By the city's new standard, natural fats are no different from trans fats. Here's what another poster wrote:

"Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL cholesterol that increases your risk for CHD. Americans consume on average 4 to 5 times as much saturated fat as trans fat in their diets.
Although saturated fat is the main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also contribute significantly."

So why not ban saturated fats and dietary cholestorol? And while we're at it, let's make everyone buy Juice Plus.

 

[Charade]

I could eat a box of butter and eggs and consume no trans fats. I could chg a gallon of olive oil and consume no cholesterol.
I think it's an over-reaction.

Eh, have fun 8-12 hours later.

STAND CLEAR OF THE BATHROOM DOOR!!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

The difference between trans fats and saturated fats are:
1) Trans fats not only raise "bad" cholesterol, they also LOWER "good" cholesterol. It does DOUBLE the damage.
2) Saturated fats are natural, trans fats are not.

Seriously, do people really consume things without knowing WHAT they are putting into their bodies? Don't get me started on high fructose corn syrup either.

 

[goodeats]

I think High Fructose Corn Syrup is a much worse culprit than trans fats. Of course I try to avoid both, but this kind of legislation would never get off the ground for stuff in the grocery stores. The major food companies would squash it in a second.

Doesn't margarine have trans fats? I know the fake peanut butter does.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Some margarines do, some do not. Smart Balance for example does not have any trans fats. Smart Balance Peanut Butter does not contain trans fats either. I prefer it to the organic, all-natural Smuckers kind.

Like I said in my above post, I am not fond of HFCS either and have elminated that from my diet as well.

 

[Planogirl]

Oops, double post.

 

[Planogirl]

It should NEVER be up to government to decide what we consume. This may seem like a small thing to some people but where does this end? Will they ban or limit meat? Only allow certain kinds? Get rid of baked goods? Ban chocolate?!!!!

Why are people so complacent nowadays? I say that we all have our own Boston Tea Party and throw the transfats AND the politicians into the rivers.

 

[Fitswimmer]

The difference between trans fats and saturated fats are:
1) Trans fats not only raise "bad" cholesterol, they also LOWER "good" cholesterol. It does DOUBLE the damage.
2) Saturated fats are natural, trans fats are not.

Seriously, do people really consume things without knowing WHAT they are putting into their bodies? Don't get me started on high fructose corn syrup either.

So now the next thing the government will ban is high fructose corn syrup. Well, that's ok, right? Because it's really bad for you. What next? White sugar, white bread, white rice? I've heard all those "white" foods are really bad for you too. We probably should ban those. What about meat? Just ask a vegetarian how that can kill you. Meat is really bad, we should ban that to make people healthier. Oh, I forgot-SALT. Salt raises blood pressure doesn't it? We've got TONS of people running around with HPB, we can ban that and less people will get that.

My ethics professor always said-don't look at THIS law, look at the NEXT law and the NEXT law and the NEXT law. Once you allow the government in the kitchen, you will NEVER get them out.

 

[oxfordcircus]

I dunno, I don't think it's the same thing. I liken this to restaurants being required to wash their produce before serving it.

But sometimes dirty produce can carry a disease like e. coli or salmonella or botulism or such, and the consumer will either become dreadfully ill or die within a matter of days. With trans fats, we're talking about a "significant" but far from primary contributor to elevated LDLs, which may or may not cause health problems years down the road. This just sets the governing standard so high that the city could never legislate away dangers of equal risk and eventuality.

 

[MzDiz]

The difference between trans fats and saturated fats are:
1) Trans fats not only raise "bad" cholesterol, they also LOWER "good" cholesterol. It does DOUBLE the damage.
2) Saturated fats are natural, trans fats are not.

Seriously, do people really consume things without knowing WHAT they are putting into their bodies? Don't get me started on high fructose corn syrup either.

Exactly. Your body says "ooh, fat, I need this" and tries to absorb the trans fats. Then the good fats pass through your system and by the time your body realizes that the trans fats aren't real food, it's too late.

Hehe, that was so simplistic it makes me giggle.

Eat your fries, America, just cook them in canola oil.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

So now the next thing the government will ban is high fructose corn syrup. Well, that's ok, right? Because it's really bad for you. What next? White sugar, white bread, white rice? I've heard all those "white" foods are really bad for you too. We probably should ban those. What about meat? Just ask a vegetarian how that can kill you. Meat is really bad, we should ban that to make people healthier. Oh, I forgot-SALT. Salt raises blood pressure doesn't it? We've got TONS of people running around with HPB, we can ban that and less people will get that.

My ethics professor always said-don't look at THIS law, look at the NEXT law and the NEXT law and the NEXT law. Once you allow the government in the kitchen, you will NEVER get them out.

I guess ya missed my first post on this thread where I said the government shouldn't tell restaurants what to do.

I am simply giving information about the crap some people choose to put into their bodies. And that is their choice, I would just like for them to be informed.

Oh and I don't eat red meat. I also prefer whole grains.

 

[oxfordcircus]

Why are people so complacent nowadays? I say that we all have our own Boston Tea Party and throw the transfats AND the politicians into the rivers.

Wait, we want to keep the trans fats.

 

[Charade]

Is this really all that new? Haven't there been other food items that have been banned? I know this is a little different because it's not a complete ban.

 

[Snowysmom]

If the government put half as much effort into actually doing some good for the cities, states, and country, we would be rolling in clover! They need stop being the food police and start doing their jobs. It is a bad thing for government to get into telling us what we can and can't eat. Pretty soon they will be at the supermarket grabbing snack foods out of our carts!

 

[SandraVB79]

Actually, I don't think it's necessarily bad that the government wants to legislate some of those things.
I mean, it's not that they want to ban your fries, they just want to make sure they are fried in something that is less unhealthy.

I know, everyone here at the DIS is perfect and perfectly responsible but many people are not. Not everyone realizes what they put in their mouth, and for those cases, it's important that someone watches over you. I mean, until this thread, I didn't really know about what those transfats were. I have no idea what the deal with the HFCS is.
But I think it's a good thing that the government sets some rules.

Do you people ALWAYS check out every ingredient label when you buy some food item? Do you have any idea about how the food you eat in a restaurant, has been prepared? I don't and I haven't, and therefore, I'm glad that there is someone making sure that what I put in my mouth is not TOO bad.

But that's just my opinion...
I am glad that my government checks meat for hormones and diseases, that there are bans on genetically manipulated foods, that there are limits to the chemicals that can be in foods (to preserve food, to make it "diet", whatever).

 

[Miss Jasmine]

If the government put half as much effort into actually doing some good for the cities, states, and country, we would be rolling in clover! They need stop being the food police and start doing their jobs. It is a bad thing for government to get into telling us what we can and can't eat. Pretty soon they will be at the supermarket grabbing snack foods out of our carts!

Actually a lot of your snack foods are no longer being made with trans fats. Voluntarily of course (not at all in response to the backlash about trans fats and labeling laws ).

Oh and if a label says "No Trans Fats" please read the ingredients list, even is a product has 0.5 percent of trans fats per serving it can say it contains no trans fats. Look for partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list. If you see that, then it is not trans fat free.

 

[MzDiz]

It is a bad thing for government to get into telling us what we can and can't eat.

I'm not so sure about that. Many people can't or won't be responsible for what they put into their bodies and subsequently end up costing everyone millions of dollars with health care costs. We have to know that the big food companies DO NOT have our best interests at heart, so who does that leave? We elected these people to represent us and put our interests first, then we complain when they do?
What's the government for then?

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I'm all for this ban. This isn't a controversial substance like sugar, salt or white foods, where some say it's okay; others say it's not. I haven't found one major health organization that says any amount of trans-fat is okay.

For all you folks that say we should have a choice, I suppose if you were given a choice to buy joint compound containing amosite asbestos versus one without, you would be okay with that? What about your homebuilder; aren't you glad that the builder of your home -- assuming it's been built in the last 20 years -- didn't have the option of using the cheap AND DEADLY materials like lead-based paint and asbestos-containing materials?

Sorry, but for those of us who choose to not ingest these PHOs, there really isn't much choice for us. It's not like the bread aisle where I can pick from white or whole grain bread or sugar-free products versus regular. I couldn't even find a powdered pancake mix that didn't contain PHOs. Spice mixes contain the stuff. All of the frozen pizza dough tubes have it. It's not like we can just say, oh, we'll I won't go to McDonald's anymore. That's easy. But going to any type of chain restaurant is nearly impossible if you avoid these poisons. The upscale, gourmet, expensive restaurants use traditional butter and non-hydrogenated oils (olive, canola, corn, etc).

This isn't banning a food. It's banning the way oils are processed. Corn oil is fine in its original state -- high in fat, sure. But please don't hydrogenate it to extend the shelf life of your product and help your company's profit margin at the expense of my heart. Especially if you could just use that corn oil in its normal state.

I make my own cookies and cakes from scratch now instead of buying the prepackaged kind in my cookie aisle or grocery bakery. I use corn or canola oil bought from the same grocery stores you all have. I would strongly suggest to anyone who thinks foods containing PHOs taste better than foods without PHOs to conduct your own taste test. Make a cake, a batch of cookies or muffins in your own kitchen using a regular oil (make sure the ingredients on any box mix doesn't have PHOs, tho!) and compare it to the same item bought in the store, with an 18-month shelf life, containing PHOs. Honestly, which tastes better?

 

[Charade]

If the government put half as much effort into actually doing some good for the cities, states, and country, we would be rolling in clover! They need stop being the food police and start doing their jobs. It is a bad thing for government to get into telling us what we can and can't eat. Pretty soon they will be at the supermarket grabbing snack foods out of our carts!

One of their "jobs" is public safety. It might be a stretch to consider banning a certain food as protecting the public.