The problem with trans fats is that it is in almost EVERYTHING. The problem is, that with it being in so many items, there is not much we can eat that doesn't have it in the list of ingredients. As long as we need to eat, and don't have time to grow our own, we will continue to ingest this crap. The problem manifests itself in many ways, to your own personal interest in your own health, all the way to a social scale where health costs will be through the roof as we age into fat, sick, artery clogged old people.

If corporations are not at least encouraged to a duty to NOT POISON US, and we are in fact being poisoned, then something needs to be done, governmental intervention or not.

But, what I feel we need to do is simply not buy products with this modified fat in them. Then, hopefully, the producers will stop making our foods with it. But, will this happen? The only way I can see to make this happen is by spreading the word.
Hopefully "the folks" are listening.

 

Trans fat is in almost everything processed. Don't eat processed foods. I don't think it's hard to understand that processed foods aren't good for you. You can just look at it and get a pretty good idea.

Everyone knows that fast food, processed food, food from a box, chips, etc, etc, etc isn't good for you.

So go get yourself some chicken, some vegies, and a starch, cook them, and have a decent meal. Once you've actually tried cooking for yourself it gets easier and doesn't take long at all. Look online for recipes.

The key is moderation. Trans fats in moderation will not adversely affect your health noticeably. Drinking in moderation won't hurt you. Smoking will still kill you.

Too much salt will adversely affect your health, too much caffine will adversely affect your health, too much sugar will adversely affect your health. Once one "evil" is killed, where do we go from there?

So I'll agree that increased awareness is needed, but a ban is a bad idea.

Mike

A direct quote from Wikipedia:A type of trans fat occurs naturally in the milk and body fat of ruminants (such as cows and sheep) at a level of 2–5% of total fat.[19] Natural trans fats, which include conjugated linoleic acid and vaccenic acid, originate in the rumen of these animals.

Animal-based fats were once the only trans fats consumed, but by far the largest amount of trans fat consumed today is created by the processed food industry as a side-effect of partially hydrogenating unsaturated plant fats (generally vegetable oils). These partially hydrogenated fats have displaced natural solid fats and liquid oils in many areas, notably in the fast food, snack food, fried food and baked good industries.

 

There isn't much I eat that I don't build myself, from raw materials and I almost never use trans fats.

There's almost always a choice. I haven't eaten fast food or processed food in about a year... cept I loves me some baked beans in tomato sauce... haven't tried making it yet, but I will one day.

 

Well, I suppose I could make cakes, pancakes, etc from scratch. Just have to figure out how.
I had two different brands of pancake mix in my cupboard, and one was bisquick. Both had the stuff in them. Yes, even bisquick.
Just for giggles, take a look at what all in your cupboard is laced with Par. Hydr. oils. I dunno, even when I thought I was cooking healthy for myself, I found that even the ingredients I was using had the bad stuff in them. Suppose I need to go a little further into the raw scratch method of food preparation. But it's hard to do when both the wife and I work full time. Hydrogenated oils are pretty common, and difficult to avoid.

 

I cut out all white flour products back in 1987....all white sugar products in 1991

I use rice flour to make gravy.
I use raw sugar in a minu'te amounts
Brown and wild rice
Whole grain Bread & Bagels
Whole grain Pasta
Fruitcake in Moderation
Beer in Moderation
I drink 5 Gallons of R/O water in 2 days


No eating after 7:00 pm ....Unless I am in Vegas ...eh Ken ?

 

Once you start cooking for yourself, it gets easier. Working at the firehouse has expanded my cooking ability by leaps and bounds.

The thing is that you probably can't eliminate trans fats, MSG, or excessive sodium altogether without spending a lot of time worrying about it. To be quite frank, there are bigger things to worry about.

But if you eat in moderation fast food, processed food, or anything that when you look at it you say "this isn't good for me", then you'll be fine.

The key is moderation.

Use sugar and butter. They are far better for you than substitutes.

Take me for example. I don't eat great, but I eat real stuff. Red meat, butter, sugar, lots of salt, fast food on occasion, etc, etc. I only work out maybe once every 6-10 days, and even then I run a mile on the treadmill an do maybe 20-30 mins of free weights.

But I weigh 175-180, have normal BP, resting heart rate in the mid 60s, normal EKG, and the last time I had blood draws, I scored the best possible on the heart scale that they do.

Mike

 

> They usually only sell this junk to Americans.

The nation of hotdog eaters and where they use pork intestines to hold fatty sauages together. Food health isn't on the radar for most people, cheap cost is.

 

There was a fairly prominent story on the news one night about the 'healthiness' of certain foods and Hot Dogs is the #1 cancer causing food of all time.

Forgot to add in my first post, that eating the low cal "free Foods" also beneficial in another couple of ways. Not only are they absorbed slower, but that in itself makes you feel fuller longer. Also, if you don't take in enough maintenance calories, it causes your body to burn fat.

I personally can't believe the difference it makes. I'd eat a big meal of BAD carbs and a couple hours later I'd be shaking from low blood sugar. Not anymore with staying on Good carbs; I can be satiated for many hours and not feel hunger at all.

 

Well we might eat out once a month...if that. There is little or no "junk" food here.

Last month we got to have some potatoe chips...first time in 3 months...I got sick.