How do you feel about banning trans fats??

New York City is in the process of getting rid of all the trans fats in the city. Which I think is stupid.

This photo symbolically illustrates the problem with a flat-out ban. You can't just BAN trans fats! What will happen to this guy? Is he going to be sent to New Jersey?? I wonder if his passengers have asked him what he thinks about the ban and his coincidental name. Actually, a very intelligent conversation on the topic is happening over at Grrl Genius's blog, here.

I think we all could use a little education on what trans fats are (and high fructose corn syrup for that matter), products should be HONESTLY labeled, but for heavens sake - leave my restaurant food alone!

If I'm eating out, I'm splurging both financially and health-wise. I don't eat out to eat the same stupid rabbit food I eat at home - I want some "good" junk food! I want food I can't or won't make at home, like chicken parmesan and chocolate cake! I want something FRIED! I want something SWEET!

What do you think??

Cheers, Lara

Comments

I think it's ridiculous. If I want to eat fritos dipped in dark chocolate all day or do lines of trans fat in powder form that's nobody's business but my own (and maybe my cardiologists). Just another case of the government putting its hands where they don't belong.

While the theory is good, given America is easily the most obese country. It's completely unrealistic and it's as good as everyone wearing name tags so we know one another.

and that picture and Hilarious!!

whats the big deal? with all the fast food propoganda and triple whoppers and double quarter pounders i think its a good thing that some place is doing what it can to help our health problems. and believe it or not, food tastes so much better when its prepared sans trans. we are the most obese country in the world and the number one killer of adults is obesity related. you can eat fritos dipped in chocolate on your couch while you watch your soaps but let the rest of us enjoy a delicously healthy meal that isnt basted in lard.

I wish more states would follow suit. The problem is that these fats do nothing to enhance foods, but they are very harmful. Some people may not go to restaurants to be healthy, but others go to restuarants because they have no real choice. We can't always take our lunches to work with us to make sure we know what we are ingesting. Especially if we work in a profession where lunch is just another meeting. I wish there was a lot less high fructose corn syrup, too. Good luck with that one, though.

That is especially stupid because health boards change their minds over which fats are healthy and which are "bad" every 10 years or so. Look it up its true! Excess is the problem.

interesting...since when is it the governments responsibility to look after our own health decisions? I honestly wish that bad foods would be banned just to make it easier for me to stay away from them but I think that that is just a lazy persons way of getting out of making responsible choices. what's next canned soup for having too much sodium or taking potato chips off of the shelves because they are horrible for you too?

There's one major difference. Trans fats have absolutely ZERO to do with taste. They are simply used to preserve shelf life. Trans fats are PRESERVATIVES which basically poison humans, used by food manufacturers to save money. You can eat fried, fatty food WITHOUT trans fat, but it's just not as dirt cheap.

Butter is a fat that tastes good and in large quantities, obviously, it is bad for you but it is NOT a TRANS fat. Eat all you want or not. Your choice.

I'm not for government monitoring how much butter I eat. But I sure as hell don't mind them banning the tasteless poisons that are trans fats -- which are used solely to further food companies' profits.

And by the way, trans fats aren't only linked to obesity and cardiovascular trouble - they've also been shown to be connected to cancer, liver dysfunction and diabetes.