So I've been following the proposal to ban trans fats in Boston restaurants and am happy to hear it will actually happen!
It's so unhealthy and I love to eat out but don't necessarily always "know" what I'm eating and just how bad it is for my health, other than the obvious salad being better than a burger and fries. Let's face it, when going out to eat it's more about taste than health. At home I can cook with ground turkey and olive oil rather than loads of butter, but chef's are pretty focused on wowing customers with a delicious dish, something they'll remember and come back to order.
In our increasingly smart and health conscious society I thought this would be well received, but some user comments really surprised me (I'll put them in the comments section of this post, some good, some dumb, some followed by my own comments on their comment!)
Here's to our health!
Public Health
Boston trans fat ban receives final approval
March 13, 2008 04:46 PM
By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff
Boston health regulators today unanimously approved a ban on artery-clogging trans fat in restaurants and grocery stores.
Boston joins a growing number of cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Brookline, in banning the food ingredient, commonly found in french fries, donuts and other fried foods. Trans fat have been linked to heart disease in humans and diabetes in experimental animals.
The first phase of the ban goes into effect in September and will apply to the use of cooking oils, shortening and margarine that contains artificial trans fat. The makers of baked goods will have a year to eliminate trans fat from their products.
Packaged goods clearly labeled as containing trans fat can still be sold. Most major manufacturers have already removed trans fat from their products.
The Boston prohibition would include all restaurants, including school and hospital cafeterias, as well as food that is prepared in kitchens inside groceries and delis.
City inspectors will visit businesses to make sure they comply with the ban, and scofflaws could face fines of up to $1,000 for each violation.
Studies estimate that having as few as 40 calories of trans fat a day can boost the risk of a heart attack by 23 percent. A fast-food meal of chicken nuggets and French fries, if prepared with artificial trans fat, can easily contain more than 100 calories of the substance.
Friday, April 18, 2008
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11 comments:
Oh man. Anyone that thinks this is a good idea needs to have their head examined. I DO NOT NEED TO STOP EATING ANYTHING. I'm not a fat pig. I know the difference between good and bad.
As for smoking, hell, I don't even smoke and I'd rather be in a resturant SITTING IN THE SMOKING SECTION cause I'm an ADULT and like to sit with other ADULTS not children.
What about that? Kids running around a screaming. That's a health hazzard TO ME. Where's the law?
No law. We are ASSUMED retarded to the point of not being able to take care of ourselves.
PB's take: Yes, there are a lot of dumb people (this guy included) in society, so bravo to the government to regulate something that can and should be substituted for a healthier option. The only ones who suffer here will be the restaurants trying to cut costs with cheap unhealthy cooking methods.
I wonder what they'll ban next... Maybe they'll ban reading the Constitution? Or maybe personal responsibility in general? Welcome to Communist Massachusetts.
Unhealthly people is good for the drug and medical community but not for us!!! This is the best thing in a long time!!! Americans are the most overweight people, the sickness, and has the most people on perscription drugs amongst countries like us. Most Americans do not care about their health at all. Almost every food in the supermarket is bad for you. The government has to step in, sorry. About time!
Check almost any product in the SM and you will find these ingredients ..
- high frucose corn syrup
- enriched flour
- partially hydrogented oils
All three are horrible for you and make you fat and sick.
Another example of big government getting bigger, welcome to the Nanny State, where the politicians treat the minions like children and tell them what to eat. What next, setting a bedtime for us?
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It's interesting that people feel that banning trans fats in prepared food is somehow compromising their civil liberties. The state is exerting limited control over a substance that is proven to cause health problems. In this context the ban on trans fats in prepared food is no different than the limited control that the state exerts over alcohol or cigarette purchases.
If you want to exercise your civil liberties; fight back and force this issue into the public view. Or you could always go the store and buy some trans fats for home use in the form of vegetable shortening or margarine.
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I have mixed feelings about this action. On one hand, it is good to move toward limiting the consumption of a hazardous food. But, on the other hand, doing it sets a dangerous precedent for the curtailment of liberties. If Boston health officials are going in this direction, they ought to ban the use of tobacco and intoxicating liquors at the same time. But, wait a minute, we already did that (liquor), and had to change our minds...will Boston have bootlegged fried clams? French fry speakeasies?
It's an excellent idea, we are all paying for the hign cost of health care. Why should we allow companies to place something in our food that scientific evidence has proven harmful for human consumption. If government did'nt regulate we would have nuclear waste in our drinking water.
Oh yeah, because fried clams have always been made w/ hydrogenated oils. French fries are impossible to make w/o trans fats. C'mon! Hydrogenated fats/oils were invented by big business in order to reduce expenses and prolong shelf life. Now that they're confirmed to be a health-risk we should just keep on eating them! Wouldn't want to disrupt the status quo or take away our 'liberties'.
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How about letting people make their own decisions.
The Government allows the sale of alcohol which has caused many a problems (Drunk Driven, Domestic Violence, Internal Bodily Problems, Bar fights, etc.) Our Government allows the sales of cigarettes which causes more problems for your arteries than Trans Fat.
Let the People decide their own fate. What has happened to this world? Cigarettes & Alcohol Legal........Trans Fat, not? We're screwed.
WE ARE NOT FREE ANYMORE. IF THE GOVERNMENT MADE MONEY OFF TRANS FAT, I'D BET IT ALL WE WOULD BE BRAINWASHED TO THINK THAT IT"S GOOD FOR YOU.
A new war on Oil? We just can't win.
Where the hell are our priorities?
Our priorities are so not in order.
-PB's take: Yeah so screwed! What an idiot!
You people are ridiculous, what are you all talking about? Banning trans fat is not infringing on anyone's civil liberties. You can buy all the trans fat you want at the store. They are just saying businesses can't contribute to an overall, PROVEN, health hazard. oh and Joe if you want to go sit with smokers go right ahead, in your own home, but no one should be subjected to other people's second hand smoke when it's a proven killer, much like trans fat. No one is saying you can't take care of yourself, the health officials are telling big business to figure out a way to make everyone's beloved french fries taste the same without the trans fat. Hey guess what if enough people complain, someone will figure it out just like we do with everything.
Let's not forget that the government is not only there to serve us but also protect us. In the scheme of things we need to ask ourselves is taking away trans fat that much of a big deal? Especially when we all know it's bad for us and serves a greater purpose by protecting the health of the people in Boston. Where in the constitution does it say you have a right to trans fat? I'm quite certain it does mention the governments duty to protect its citizens though.
What most of you don't understand is that it's very easy to eliminate trans fat... all that has to happen is they have to fry foods in different kinds of oil. I live in Brookline, which banned trans fat last year. I eat in places where you can guarantee they once sold trans fat in every sandwich. The taste hasn't even changed. The prices have stayed relatively the same. You won't notice anything, trust me.
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