By: Jean Johnson for Heart1New York City health commissioner Thomas R. Frieden, M.D. thinks it’s all well and good that as of January 2006 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) will finally require food manufacturers to list trans fatty acids on Nutrition Facts labels of packaged foods. Still, Frieden’s concern is over all the food people eat in restaurants.
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Do your part to avoid trans fat
When you eat out, help by joining the increasing numbers of critical people asking about the trans fat content of foods on the menu.
Only eat commercially fried foods and commercial baked goods infrequently since they usually contain hydrogenated oil that has trans fatty acids.
Choose vegetable oils (except coconut and palm kernel oils) and soft margarines (liquid, tub, or spray) more often.
Check dietary supplements for labels as well. Some energy and nutrition bars contain ingredients that also include partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or trans fat as well as saturated fat and cholesterol.
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“To help combat heart disease, the No. 1 killer in New York City, we are asking restaurants to voluntarily make an oil change and remove artificial trans fat from their kitchens,” said Frieden. “We are also urging food suppliers to provide products that are trans-fat free.” A lifetime of snacking on French fries, donuts, pastries, cookies, crackers, chocolate bars, chips, not to mention some cereals and prepared waffles might be a titillating experience – at least for folks that don’t mind the greasy coating that lingers in the mouth after consuming food laced with shortening – but the fall-out can come with a heavy load of regret. Arteries clogged with deposits from trans fatty acids leave the door wide open to strokes, heart attacks, and Type 2 diabetes. So those that don’t want to the roll dice on how they spend their golden years might take heed of Frieden’s call for accountability.
“I’m certainly listening,” said Lynn Roberts of Flagstaff, Arizona. “A dear friend of ours who’s been a big chips and cookies eater for the 30 years we’ve known him had a stroke last winter. Now he’s paralyzed on the left side and is confined to a wheel chair. He’s only 60 years old. It’s so sad since even the doctors say that he could have avoided coming to this by taking better care of himself.”
Scientists first discovered how to hydrogenate liquid oils into shortening, margarine, and other fats that are solid at room temperature in the late 1890s. Heralded by manufacturers as superior to lard and butter because they increased the shelf life of products, hydrogenated fats (which contain trans fats) made their way into processed foods as the century ensued.
Concern about consumption of these foods in terms of blood lipid or fat levels began arising as early as the 1950s. By the 1990s, after the processed food industry had taken over a large percentage of the western world’s food market, conclusions from the health community had become definitive. In 2003 the Netherlands became the first nation to ban all processed foods with 2 percent of trans fat for every 100 grams of fat.
Portland physician Miles Hassell, M.D. encourages his patients to avoid what he terms fake food. “I want everything that goes into patients’ mouths to be medicine – food as medicine – tasty, of course, but good quality food that nourishes. So if people avoid all foods with hydrogenated oils – and aspartame – they’ll be better off,” said Hassell. “Just look. It took us 70 years to figure out hydrogenated oil is bad – how long will it take for the data to come in on aspartame?” Portland, Oregon hasn’t joined New York City in its progressive plea to restaurants, however.
Portland, Oregon hasn’t joined New York City in its progressive plea to restaurants, however. Indeed, New York City’s Frieden is one of the most activist public health commissioners in a generation. A public servant standing on the principle that: “Consumers want healthier choices when eating out. Our campaign will increase consumer demand for meals without trans fat.”
The corporations are coming on line to varying degrees. Frito Lay proudly boasts that most of its products have been revamped and are now almost exclusively trans-fat free. Fast food purveyors who are not subject to new labeling regulations come 2006, though, are essentially dragging their feet. Pledges to use healthier alternatives to trans fats have so far been largely empty since companies are finding that cost-effective solutions that will provide taste to which consumer’s have grown accustomed are beyond them at this point.
The FDA has concluded that there is no safe level of trans fat at all in food, and the medical world from the American Heart Association to cardiology clinics concur. “Trans fat clearly contributes to heart disease, but it is something relatively new to the consumer environment,” said Sonia Angell, the New York City health commission department’s director of cardiovascular disease prevention and control. Angell also noted that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils could be used as replacements. The list of choices is long: Olive, peanut, sunflower, cottonseed, soybean, sesame and rape seed, among others.
Frieden emphasized that the campaign he has initiated in New York City is voluntary and restaurants are simply being asked to consider their patrons’ health on an issue where, as Frieden said, “the evidence is clear.”
Before and after surveys a year apart are planned to see if the challenge Frieden has issued nets meaningful change. But while New Yorkers – and the rest of the nation – are waiting for the results, know that starting the day with a donut gives us 3.2 grams of trans fat. Combined with fries at lunch at 6.8 g, the total rings in at 10 grams, assuming that after work we don’t stop off at the grocery and stray over to the sweets aisle.
