Conscious Choice Seattle: Trans Fat Disaster

Trans Fat: What’s happening in Seattle?

This July, the King County Board of Health passed monumental legislation requiring all dining establishments to remove trans fats from their menus in two stages. By next May—when trans fats are eliminated from spreads and frying oils—those pancakes at your favorite diner will be prepared with butter, not margarine.

By February 2009, the deadline for eliminating all other trans fats, the batter will contain no hydrogenated oils.
“The good news about trans fat free,” says Donna Oberg of King County Public Health, “is that you won’t know that there’s any difference—except your body will.”

Obesity, which is a problem for more than 25% of adults in King County, was the springboard for taking legislative action.

“With the overwhelming support of residents, as well as a really strong interest, it’s the charge of the Board to create policies that improve health,” explains Erika Neurenberg from the King County Board of Health. “There is no greater example of that goal and that charge than this legislation.” That said, the change is not without its critics. Top concerns include: the costs for restaurants and the need to address the central issue of health education. Additional legislation requires that restaurants with more than ten locations show nutritional information on their menus by next August, and an accompanying education plan is in the works.

“Seattle is really on the cutting edge of helping people to reduce their risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases caused by unhealthy eating and obesity,” says Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

And it’s not just Seattle! After its December 2006 decision to ban trans fats, New York City kicked off implementation in July, and cities throughout the country are currently passing similar laws. Fast food chains have even begun to make national commitments. Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Wendy’s are redeveloping their recipes to make them trans fat free. “This is across the board in every city,” enthused Blishda Lacet, a diabetes education program manager at King County Public Health. “There are people who are being converted.”

—Marina Komarovsky

September 2007 | Locally Yours

Trans Fat Disaster

By Jennifer Adler, M.S., C.N.

It has been deemed the biggest food processing disaster in U.S. history.

Today, most scientists and nutrition experts agree that trans fat is America’s most dangerous fat. As a nutritionist I like to instill joy with food and come from a place of abundance instead of deprivation yet, I strongly urge clients to avoid trans fats at all costs. Dr. Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health states that the, “introduction of trans fats into the diet was the biggest food-processing disaster in U.S. history.” He conservatively estimates that 30,000 Americans die prematurely each year from trans fats and epidemiologic evidence suggests this number is closer to 100,000 premature deaths annually: 30,000 to 100,000 premature deaths each year means between 82 and 274 each day!

What happens when you pump hydrogen gas into a liquid fat?

You get trans fats. When hydrogen gas is bubbled through refined oil, it causes the oil to saturate artificially with hydrogen and resist oxidation or rancidity. This is an industry favorite because it is inexpensive, stable, and performs well in both baking and high temperature frying. Trans fats are found in products labeled as containing shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. These oils increase the product’s shelf life, but they decrease your shelf life.

Trans fats are commonly found in processed foods like commercially made cookies, cakes and crackers, and even in bread. They are often used as cooking oils for frying in restaurants. Many other packaged items such as chips, cereals and waffles can contain trans fat. In conventional grocery stores it takes a lot of label reading to avoid these fats. Pastry and fried food lovers beware: there is no level of trans fatty acids that is safe to consume, reports the Institute of Medicine, in other words zero tolerance.

Why should I avoid trans fats?

More than a decade of research has shown that consumption of trans fats causes many adverse health effects such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, decreased immunity, difficulty with reproduction and lactation, and obesity. Trans fats cause significant and serious lowering of HDL (good) cholesterol and a significant and serious increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol. This makes arteries more rigid with major clogging and can promote insulin resistance and contribute to type 2 diabetes, as well as other serious health problems. Our body is composed of cells and fat makes up our cell membranes. The types of fats that we consume—and therefore incorporate into our cell membranes—have a significant impact on our cells’ ability to function properly. When trans fats make up our cell membranes they are not able to receive nourishment, release waste material or communicate efficiently. Our cell health is integral to every part of our health and well-being. In addition, during pregnancy — since the brain is primarily composed of fat — hydrogenated oils are incorporated into the brain of the
fetus.

But it is not all gloom and doom. There are steps that you can take to avoid these dangerous fats.

Avoid any product that has the words “hydrogenated,” “partially hydrogenated,” or “shortening” in the ingredients list. Do not trust labels that claim “zero trans fats.” If the words “hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated or shortening” are in the ingredients list, it DOES contain trans fat. Under FDA regulations, “if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram [of trans fat], the content, when declared, shall be expressed as zero.” This becomes problematic because serving sizes are geared more for marketing products and are not based on what most of us eat in a sitting. Suppose a product contains 0.4 grams per serving and you eat four servings (which is not uncommon). You have just consumed 1.6 grams of trans fat, despite the fact that the package claims that the product contains zero grams of trans fat per serving.

In restaurants, bakeries, and other eateries, ask whether they use partially hydrogenated oil for frying or baking or in salad dressings. If they say they use vegetable oil, ask whether it is partially hydrogenated. Assume that all unlabeled baked and fried goods contain partially hydrogenated oil, unless you know otherwise.

Jennifer Adler, M.S., C.N., provides nutrition counseling at her private practice Realize Health, www.realizehealth.com. Currently, she finds delight at her local Sunday Farmers’ Market in Ballard.

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