In New York City, they have recently put into action a plan to phase out the use of artificial trans fats in all food service businesses. This is a great idea and I am glad to hear that other states are planning to start the same legislation.
Artificial trans fats are the worst type of fats, because they:
* Increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol
* Decrease your HDL (good) cholesterol
Artificial trans fats increase your risk of heart disease more than saturated fat do.
New York City's plan
On July 1, 2007 New York City's plan went into action. On that day, the city officially banned the use of artificial trans fats for frying, sauteing, grilling and spreading. There is an exception for products with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.
It has been difficult to find a replacement for artificial trans fats for baking, so food services are still allowed to use trans fats for deep frying cake batter and yeast dough. However, as of July 1, 2008, the bakers will also have to eliminate artificial trans fats.
The only exceptions to the rule are foods served in the manufacturer's original sealed packaging. So, they are allowed to sell a sealed bag of potato chips regardless of how much trans fat it contains.
Calorie disclosure
New York City has also passed legislation to force the fast-food chain restaurants to display their food's calorie count in an open area.
Many of the fast-food restaurants have been displaying their calorie counts for years. However, most of them displayed them in obscure places or only on their websites
The New York City legislation will require that the calorie listings be placed in an open location, so that customers are forced to see the calories before they purchase the food.
The Big Apple
I like New York City's proactive regulations to improve overall public health. This has probably been influenced by New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is a known health enthusiast.
New York City has banned smoking in restaurants and bars. They have made purchasing cigarettes a burden by taxing them heavily. Now they are eliminating artificial trans fats and forcing restaurants to disclose their calorie counts. It is a beautiful thing.
We need Food Police
Americans are not helping themselves. Two out of every three Americans is overweight and that percentage is increasing. Childhood obesity is also becoming a bigger problem every day. We are not taking the necessary steps to police ourselves, so I think it is great that the government is getting involved.
Many people will argue that what they eat is their personal business. However, it is now obvious that Americans' poor health is hurting everyone.
The restaurants and food service businesses are fighting the new legislation. Obviously, they are fighting to protect their profit margins and not our health.
I hope the New York City plan works and more cities adopt similar policies. Many people will not appreciate these laws today, but our grandchildren and great grandchildren will.
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