Miller 1 Jennifer Miller Professor Bolton English 101 April 5, 2014

The Ban of Trans Fat: A Grab For Power or The Push We Need? Obesity, especially in children within recent years, has become a growing epidemic in America within the last decade. Trans fats, which are liquid fats that have been treated to become solid, have become the recent target of government regulation due to this epidemic. The US Federal Drug Administration first took a stand against trans fatty acids in 2003; manufacturers were required to include trans fat content on nutrition labels of the food that they were producing. As a result, the National Review reported, Americans consumption of trans fats has plunged from 4.6 grams a day to around 1 gram over the past decade (8). Many citizens are concerned that this regulation infringes on our basic freedom to choose how we fuel our body. On one hand, I agree with freedom activists that this paternalistic measure may be an overreach by the government; however, on the other hand, I still insist that the majority of our society needs this push towards a healthier lifestyle. With trans fats being phased out of foods, people will be able to make healthier food choices without even giving it second thought; healthcare costs, that will be paid for by our tax dollars, should slowly decrease; and as a result, our healthier citizens will have a better quality of life.

Miller 2 First, it is necessary to take a further look into the actual meaning of trans fatty acids. Many of you may realize that this substance is harmful to your health, but not understand the actual reason why. Dont worry; I was in the same boat until I decided to educate myself for the purpose of my well-being. As stated earlier, trans fatty acids are liquid fats that have been treated to become solid, often referred to as partially hydrogenated oils. This solid form of fat is found in many of the things we consume: fast food, baking mixes, canned frosting, frozen pizza, fried food, microwave popcorn, etc. As reported by the FDA, They [PHOs] have been widely used as ingredients since the 1950s to increase the shelf-life and flavor stability of foods. Researchers with the FDA conducted a food analysis study prior to the mandatory labeling of trans fat (to go into effect Jan 1, 2006); the results are as follows: results showed that trans fat (g/100 g fat) ranged from 0.0 to 48.8 in break, cake and related products; from 14.9 to 27.7 in margarines; from 7.7 to 35.3 in cookies and crackers, from 24.7 to 38.2 in frozen potatoes; from 0.0 to 17.1 in salty snacks; from 0.0 to 13.2 in vegetable oils and shortenings; from 0.0 to 2.2 in salad dressings and mayonnaises; and from 0.0 to 2.0 in dry breakfast cereals. (qtd. in Obesity, Fitness and Wellness Week 15) These findings may be shocking, but they allow us to comprehend the amount of trans fats that are found in the food we eat. At this point, you may be asking yourself, why should I care about this? Well, trans fats have been found to directly affect cholesterol, a fat that is found in your blood, by raising low-density lipoprotein levels (bad cholesterol) and lowering high-density lipoprotein levels (good

Miller 3 cholesterol). When a person has high LDL levels, they are at higher risk for coronary heart disease because this type of cholesterol can clog the arteries of your heart (Langella 33). In his book Saturated Fats, Joseph Langella also found in his research that a high intake of trans-fat may promote insulin resistance and increase risk of type 2 diabetes (33). Therefore, every one of us should be concerned by this knowledge, especially when we are exposed to trans fat on a daily basis. At this point I would like to raise some objections that have been inspired by my rebellious spirit. Nothing makes us want something more than being told that we can no longer have it. When the variety of sweet treats is at risk of being cut in half, my rebellious side immediately becomes defensive of the freedom to choose what foods I consume. Freedom advocates bring into focus the basic right of Americans: freedom of choice. We have the freedom to choose our religion, our relationships, and our speech; however, some are viewing this regulation of trans fat as more of a regulation of our decision-making skills because they may no longer have the decision to choose between Twinkies and Ho Hos. Barry Popkin, a nutrition epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, claims, eliminating the oils from baked goods might be more difficult, as they help create the desired flaky texture (qtd. in F.D.A. Seeking Near Total Ban on Trans Fats). In other words, achieving the same familiar comfort that you feel when biting into a Famous Amos cookie may prove to be difficult without trans fats. Manufacturers of major brands have the financial and scientific backing to reformulate their recipes without compromising the familiar taste of their products. However, many smaller businesses may not be capable of reworking their recipes to meet the regulation and in turn, may risk going

Miller 4 out of business. Many citizens argue that they should have the freedom to make healthier choices in their food selection versus the government placing regulations that may eliminate certain choices all together. We may no longer have such a wide variety of junk food to choose from, but we will still have plenty of healthier alternatives. In conclusion, I agree that we should have such freedom, but I still insist that this regulation is a push in the best direction. One failsafe way to get an overweight country eating healthier is to eliminate the problem, which will result in healthier choices across the board. Once trans fats are out of the picture, other fats may become utilized. This is why we must further educate ourselves and understand what we are putting into our body. In their book The Formula: A Personalized 40-30-30 Weight Loss Program, nutritionists Gene and Joyce Daoust discuss the common misconception of fat. I often hear people say they dont need to eat any fat, since they already have plenty of it. The truth is, you need fat to burn fat. To maintain good health and to burn fat, your diet must contain adequate amounts of fat that supply essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids play a critical role in energy production, balancing hormones, controlling hunger, and stabilizing blood sugar. (10) Now this is not an advocate of trans fats, but an endorsement for good, essential fats that are unprocessed and occur naturally in foods. Examples of good fats include: raw nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, and vegetable/olive oils. With this knowledge, it should be easier to distinguish and understand the difference between unnatural trans fats and naturally occurring essential fats. Undoubtedly, poor choices will still

Miller 5 be made in the selection of ones nutrition, but by eliminating trans fat, the regulation will force healthier alternatives to be made. Many people complain that its hard to eat healthy with a busy lifestyle, much less feed their kids healthy meals; this is why it is so easy for them to turn to the fast food industry. If they arent concerned for their own health, at the very least, parents should be concerned for their childs well-being. While discussing the need for kids to understand the difference between essential and unhealthy fats, and how their content is sometimes hidden on nutrition labels, Dr. Leslie Walker, a pediatrician and chief of adolescent medicine at Seattle Childrens Hospital, offers her advice. She asserts that kids should be aware, but not overly conscious (as they sometimes are) about the amount and types of fat they are consuming. During a radio broadcast on NPR she advises, you have a lot of years to live. And you want to make sure that you have the lowest possible risk for cardiovascular disease. (Trans Fat, par. 32) In other words, children and their parents should be aware of the nutrition that is received by adolescents at early stage development because it can set a precedent for their health in later years. With the proposed regulation, there would be one less harmful substance to worry about children consuming when parents resort to fast food dinners. In the big picture, this is a minute change; many more changes, on top of personal responsibility, will need to be made before our population can really get a handle on their health and nutrition. Again, with the prohibition of these unnatural, processed fats, we can slowly migrate to a healthier lifestyle. Another benefit of this regulation, stemming from improved food choices that would lead to healthy citizens, would be the resulting healthcare costs.

Miller 6 Healthcare costs and insurance premiums are now at an all-time high. With the impending implementation of the strongly resisted health care reform plan, many citizens have noticed an increase in their private sector insurance premiums and higher fees for the care they seek. These cost increases are incurred by the regulations under the new healthcare policy; insurance companies now have to make up for the cost of covering pre-existing conditions, narrowing premium differences between the elderly and young, and have funding to cover the new taxes that are imposed on insurance plans. Mary Ellen Schneider, a medical news journalist, recently informed American citizens of another example of how they would pay for this health care reform. In referring to the Obama administrations fiscal year 2010 budget, she reports, The budget would establish a reserve fund of about $635 billion over 10 years to finance at least part of the comprehensive health reform efforts, which would come from new revenue resulting from tax changes, as well as from savings within Medicare and Medicaid programs (50). In sum, our society, as a whole, will be contributing tax dollars to pay for the affordable care that most cannot afford. Now it is possible to explore the question, how will the ban of trans fat effect health care costs? It is optimistic, but there is hope that this stance on public health will give some people a wake up call, prompting them to take a harder look at their lifestyle. As discussed earlier, healthier options will be more readily available and in turn, make it easier for people to make better choices and improve their overall health; the amount of patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease should drop. Organ transplants, supplemental medications, and assisted living for seriously ill patients would drop, meaning lower health care costs and less

Miller 7 tax money to come from the majority to pay for procedures that could have been prevented. Thats not to say that it will eliminate these costs completely. For example, there are less fortunate people who cannot support themselves, but government assistance will be provided for them. There are also other contributing factors to the diseases that trans fats are linked to, therefore these diseases will still be diagnosed, but hopefully not in such large quantities. The best example to make comparison to is the issue of shoplifting. Whenever a company has product stolen from them, the store then absorbs the cost. If this is done repeatedly, eventually the prices will rise to help compensate for the losses they have incurred. The same happens with our tax dollars whenever the government constantly picks up the tab for unhealthy individuals who cannot afford the care that they need. As I have explained, with this push towards a healthier country by banning PHOs, we will be able to see our money go towards more widely beneficial issues. As a result, the health initiative being pursued by this administration will produce the most obvious outcome, happier citizens. This may seem like a fallacious statement to some, but those who have experienced the positive effects of eating clean know that this simple statement holds a magnitude of truth. A persons health affects their life in many more ways than just the physical aspect. Women, especially, are emotionally affected by the physical appearance of their body and the role food plays in this. These emotions can take a toll on a womans everyday activities and eventually she can find herself consumed as a result. Ive always been a person who fluctuates in weight and bounces from diet to diet, but as earlier stated, I decided to really take control of my health. I was in an extremely

Miller 8 demanding work environment that sometimes left little room for lunch breaks. As a result, I would snack on whatever I could get my hands on in between my patients. Most of these snacks were designed to be a grab-and-go type of food, something I could shove in my mouth and continue on with what I was doing; I rarely paid attention to nutrition labels, serving sizes, and fat content. Looking back now, trans fats were present, even if in minute amounts, in almost all of the snacks my coworkers and I were consuming. I found myself becoming sluggish, lethargic, and short-tempered. When foods are loaded with unnatural ingredients, they take a toll on your body. For example, try to think of a time that youve consumed Chinese take-out from your favorite restaurant or pizza from the NY-style diner; you may have found yourself slightly swollen the next day from the salt content in the Chinese food, or experienced heart burn from the acid in the tomato sauce on the pizza. When a person eats healthier choices, such as salads, lean meat, fruits and vegetables, they dont experience these unwanted side effects. It is rare to find a person who eats clean, healthy foods with excessive stress or emotional instability. Food is fuel, and when a body is fueled correctly, there is less physical and emotional turmoil. This stand against trans fat is the forefront for a health-focused movement. Food is one of the most underutilized medications for the human body, and we often look at food as a reward or indulgence instead of fuel and nutrients. Without a doubt, the improved choices produced by this ban of trans fats will lead to healthier, happier citizens who will have better control of their well-being. Concluding, I can stand behind my claim, without reservation, that when trans fats are eliminated we will see a domino effect of outcomes; healthier food

Miller 9 products will lead to healthier citizens with happier lifestyles. This in turn will eventually lead to lower health care costs. As earlier stated, many look at this directive as a paternalistic type discipline due to our countrys eating habits. I agree that the government often tries to overstep its bounds; however, I must insist that this is a regulation we desperately need to help the lack of concern for an individuals health. Our country is often observed as innovative, always ahead of the curve; why must we fall behind this curve when it comes to the issue of our health?

Miller 10 Works Cited Blacksher, Erika. Private choice, public health. The Hastings Center Report Mar.Apr. 2009. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 March 2014. Daoust, Gene and Joyce. The Formula: A personalized 40-30-30 Weight Loss Porgram. New York: The Ballantine Publishing Group, 2001. Print. Langella, Joseph P. Trans Fatty Acid and CHD Risk. Nutrition and Diet Research Progress: Saturated Fats: Metabolism, Disease Risks, and Public Awareness. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2011. pg. 33. Ebrary.com. Web. 25 March 2014. Schneider, Mary Ellen. FY 2010 budget includes health reform funds. OB GYN News June 2009: 50. Academic OneFile. Web. 11 April 2014. Tavernise, Sabrina. FDA Seeking Near Total Ban on Trans Fats. New York Times. 08 Nov. 2013: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 3 April 2014. Trans Fat Ban Could Bring Smaller WaistlinesBut At What Cost? Tell Me More 12 Nov. 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 April 2014. Trans fats are liquid fats that have been treated to make them solid. National Review 16 Dec. 2013: 8. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 April 2014. Trans fatty acid content of food dependent on fats used in production. Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week 8 May 2004: 15. Academic OneFile. Web. 1 April 2014. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 7 March 2014. Web. 22 March 2014.