July 1st marks the date for the official ban on trans fats in New York City restaurants. The city ordinance was passed in 2006, making NYC the first city to ban the artery clogging synthetic fat in dining establishments.
How are restaurants adjusting?
McDonald’s has switched to a fry oil free of trans-fats and has eliminated the substances from products such as apple pies and cookies in their NYC locations. Burger King has done the same.
Dunkin Donuts has stopped using partially hydrogenated and switched to a trans-fat-free blend of palm, soybean and cottonseed oil.
Other chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Boston Market have made similar changes.
Will these changes do much to help New Yorkers health? Not likely.
True, evidence suggests that trans fats raise LDL and lower HDL cholesterol, but this is only part of the picture when it comes to obesity and heart disease. A healthy lifestyle needs to include physical activity and a healthy diet—not just a diet that is low in trans fats. Plus, I would hate to see folks increase their consumption of fried foods under some false illusion that they are now “healthier.”
I suppose it’s a step in the right direction, as is another NYC ordinance which may require some restaurants to print nutritional info. on the menu. All told, restaurants simply serve what is in demand. If people were to demand healthy fare, lower in fat and calories and high in nutrient rich fruits and veggies THAT is what restaurants would provide. Perhaps it’s time for individuals to stop whining and take responsibility for their own health, rather than leaving it up to businesses and legislature…
2 comments:
We have eaten two whole watermelons since this post! My boys already loved it, but now I feel even better about providing it.
Obviously, this comment is to your July 16 post. Oops!
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