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Michael considered fate at 12:00   |   Permalink   |   Post a Comment

Is trans fat unhealthy? Sure, no doubt. Is eating less trans fat a positive step in bettering one's health? Probably. Is it okay for a municipality to ban it? I dunno.

Following the New York City Board of Health's unanimous decision to phase trans fats off the city's restaurant menus, experts say the move could be an important step in saving many people from heart disease..

.. The measure, first proposed on Sept. 26, will take effect July 1. By this date, restaurants will be barred from using most frying oils that contain artificial trans fats. And by July 1, 2008, they will have to eliminate artificial trans fats from all their foods.

In a day and age where people are up in arms over firearm bans (no pun intended) and citizens are scared of their governments spying on them, this just seems like something people wouldn't be happy about.. just as many are grumpy about smoking bans. Then again, if it truly is a major contributor to heart disease, the single largest cause of death in the United States, then I'm all for it.

It just blows my mind that we are able to pass this kind of legislation - even at the municipal level, and this is a BIG municipal level (NYC!) - yet we struggle with far more important issues like social security and Medicare reform, campaign finance reform, etc, etc, etc.

Meanwhile, it looks as though among the other places, such as Chicago and New Jersey, which are loving this ban idea is Los Angeles, of all cities - looking to nix the slicks (that's my funny way of saying no more fast food gooey-pooey from nasty synthesized flavouring agents, i.e. trans fat).

On Friday, City Councilmen Jose Huizar and Tom LaBonge asked for a report on how the council could restrict trans fat in Los Angeles' restaurants.

"This is a critical public health issue. As the New York City health commissioner said, people are no longer dying of typhoid fever, they're dying of heart disease," said Amy Cooper, Huizar legislative director.

"We wouldn't hesitate to regulate something that is toxic, but we know trans fats are toxic."

LaBonge equated the proposal to restrictions on smoking in restaurants and workplaces.

Equating this to no smoking in restaurants? It would be more comparable to banning smoking in a smoke shop or banning ammo at a gun range, in some ways.. or maybe it is like requiring rubber bullets instead.

At the end of the day there probably isn't much we can do to stop really fat people from eating bad foods. However, if we limit the access (both accidental or unawares access and the ability for intentional access) then we probably have a very good chance at improving overall health.. but at what cost? Even George Orwell couldn't conjure up a version of the Food Police for his totalitarian novel 1984.