BC tackles obesity epidemic with trans fat ban

Don’t worry, the BC government is not banning body fat. It has just issued a press release (see link at bottom) announcing new regulations to ban trans fat in foods.

Since 2003 there has been a growing movement to eliminate these artificial fats from manufactured ‘foods. BC is not the only province to be pushing for elimination of trans fats.

It is said that there is a strong link between trans fat consumption and heart and stroke risks. Following a recent study there is also a growing belief that trans fat consumption causes fat to be displaced to the abdomen, even on a low-calorie diet. In turn, there is a well-known link between obesity and heart problems.

“It is an interesting finding,” said Dr Frankie Phillips registered dietician with the British Dietetic Association. “Trans fats up cholesterol levels, but also, increased abdominal fat leads to insulin resistance and that combined with poor blood cholesterol levels can increase the risk of heart disease even further.”

BC is following the lead of Denmark, which in 2004 made it law for manufacturers to label trans fats on all food labels and decreed that no item can contain more than two per cent of them.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently began requiring manufacturers to list trans fats on nutrition labels.

Although there is a strong connection between the consumption of trans fats and levels of ‘bad’ chloresterol, there are many other lifestyle choices that affect chloresterol. One of the most important of these is stress, which causes the body to produce more chloresterol and to deposit fat.

So trans fat is not the only culprit implicated in obesity and heart problems. Stress is right up there too. We think of stress as being only a psychological thing, but there is also physiological stress caused by all manner of things the body does not like, such as chemicals in air, water and food, or going without enough sleep, or drinking too much coffee.

It is nice to see officialdom finally recognizing that what we eat does affect health. It is also a great step forward to be tackling some of the most problematic ingredients in food. However, it should be remembered that all manufactured food is generally not good for our health. There are a myriad of artificial ingredients that are not wise to consume, trans fat being just one of many.

In the end, the key to a good diet is to eat real food, not manufactured ‘food’ — to eat food that comes from directly from plants and animals and has not been exposed to pollutants.

Buying real food and preparing it yourself is a prerequisite to good nutrition. It is difficult to live a mobile lifestyle — eating out a lot — and still obtain healthy food.

Comments posted with the above video

“Trans fats are artificially produced fats that are very unhealthy. The consumption of trans fats is one of the main causes for the obesity epidemic. Trans fats are used in thousands of food products.

“The health risks of trans fats include obesity, cancer, clogged arteries, high cholesterol, hart disease, diabetes, birth defects, allergies in children, etc.”

• Full comments: The Dangers of Trans Fats, (partially) hydrogenated oils, trans fatty acids

CVNews related links:

• Province Restricts Trans Fat in B.C. (March 7, 2009 press release)
• Cholesterol-raising trans fats: The hidden hazard
• CTV.ca Special – Trans Fat
• Trans fats: The move away from bad fats
• Resources: Trans Fat