Yesterday, the New York Times reported that the New York State Health Department has urged that restaurants stop serving foods containing trans fats known as chemically modified ingredients that significantly increase the risk of heart disease.
Already, the mere request has trigged opposition. A friend told me that it’s none of the governments business what people eat and how often they eat it. Another says that if that were the case, then why not throw in some hashish every now and again. Toby Joe suggests that it’s not about that, it’s about disclosure to the consumers. Basically, if a smart person has this information, information that they were once in blissful denial about it, said person would avoid the food. It’s about knowledge and making a personal choice. If people want to continue eating it, then so be it, that’s their choice. If you’re like myself, who has avoided it for three months now (South Beach dieter) it’d be an excellent change. I’d love to have healthier lunch options.
I have been comparing it to cigarettes. There was a time that people didn’t KNOW that cigarettes caused cancer. Once that information was released to the public, some folks quit. (Take, Peter Jennings, for example). Up until recently, trans fats weren’t a known cause behind clogged arteries. Now, they are and the health department wants the consumer to know just when they’re ingesting the fats.
The NYT reports:
Public health officials contend that trans fat not only has the same heart-clogging properties as saturated fat, but also reduces the “good” cholesterol that works to clear arteries.
I’d say that’s a good enough reason to do something about it. But I know that these changes aren’t embraced easily. I’m wondering how other people feel about it. Is ignorance really all that blissful?
Mihow 
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