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NYC, Chicago look at banning trans fats


Carter711

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New York and Chicago are looking at banning artificial trans fats, an artery clogging substance found in many foods, from restaurants in their cities. Doctors agree that trans fats, which are found in everything from certain margarines and shortenings to french fries, is unhealthy in nearly any amount, but some restaurant owners argue that a ban goes well beyond what is "prudent and acceptable."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15020846/

The NYC ban goes further than the proposed Chicago one, in that it targets all restaurants not just chains. The FDA didn't require food labels to list trans-fats until January, but some countries have already banned the substance in processed foods altogether.

What do you guys think - Good idea, or not so good idea?

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New York and Chicago are looking at banning artificial trans fats, an artery clogging substance found in many foods, from restaurants in their cities. Doctors agree that trans fats, which are found in everything from certain margarines and shortenings to french fries, is unhealthy in nearly any amount, but some restaurant owners argue that a ban goes well beyond what is "prudent and acceptable."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15020846/

The NYC ban goes further than the proposed Chicago one, in that it targets all restaurants not just chains. The FDA didn't require food labels to list trans-fats until January, but some countries have already banned the substance in processed foods altogether.

What do you guys think - Good idea, or not so good idea?

If we ban smoking in buildings as health hazards and make drugs illegal, why not make something that actually IS killing us illegal. I'd support it.

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People should keep up on their own health. If they did, they wouldn't eat foods with trans fats and businesses would sell something else.

French fries did not used to have trans-fats because they used a beef tallow. However, Enviornmentalists didn't like that, and now obesity rates have balooned.

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People should keep up on their own health. If they did, they wouldn't eat foods with trans fats and businesses would sell something else.

French fries did not used to have trans-fats because they used a beef tallow. However, Enviornmentalists didn't like that, and now obesity rates have balooned.

I really don't mind this approach, but businesses should be required to post a document that says, we cook our food in health destroying trans fat oils, so the customer knows what devil they are getting ready to trade with. Many places have advertized transfats as "Pure Vegetable Oil" which is technically true, but gives the customer the impression they are getting something reasonably healthy.

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as far as health choices like this are concerned, i don't think it's a great idea. i do think that restaurants should have something on their menu, much like they do with red meats being undercooked, informing diners what items are made with transfats. let the people decide what they want to eat.

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In many cases, these foods can be made using much healthier substances, without noticably affecting the taste, texture, or appearance. Less healthy alternatitives are used because they are cheaper to produce, allowing the manufacturer to maximize profits. In cases like this, regulation is necessary. It is in society's best interests to require higher standards.

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If you're going to ban the consumption of transfatty acids, then they should be banning cigarettes (especially cigarettes since they also harm those around you) and alcohol. Restaurants that use ingredients with trans-fatty acids should have to make it known that they use them, but come on.. this is something that is easy to regulate if your'e well informed, therefore it should be a personal responsibility.

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What's the shame here is that the American consumer can't self regulate by being educated and not buy products made with trans fats. We put WAY too much faith that some gov't body will be smart enough to do it for us...

so you know what? i say if the consumer can't self regulate, let them get obese. i don't really care. i'm smart enough to read the warnings about beef and not order it rare (although i HATE places that won't cook beef medium-rare).

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so you know what? i say if the consumer can't self regulate, let them get obese. i don't really care. i'm smart enough to read the warnings about beef and not order it rare (although i HATE places that won't cook beef medium-rare).

I agree, but how do you know which foods contain trans fats or other harmful substances in a restaurant? It would be a step in the right direction to require restaurants tp provide complete nutritional information on each order, but even then there are many ways to manipulate the data. I have no problem with banning potentially deadly substances that are a completely unnecessary part of the product.

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I agree, but how do you know which foods contain trans fats or other harmful substances in a restaurant? It would be a step in the right direction to require restaurants tp provide complete nutritional information on each order, but even then there are many ways to manipulate the data. I have no problem with banning potentially deadly substances that are a completely unnecessary part of the product.

no no no... not nutritional info. they should put a little icon next to each item on the menu that contains trans fats, kind of like how they put a little picture of a heart or an asterix next to the items that contain beef and then have a warning below about how undercooked beef can contain bad bacteria.

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It should be understood, in case it isn't that, trans fats are an artifical substance that did not exist in the American food system 100 years ago. It was first developed as a cheap substitute for butter and animal fat and sold as margarine and crisco. It's been in the last 25 years however that trans-fats have made a more widespread apperance in almost everything we eat especially in restaurant food. It's widely used in junk food because it has been engineered to be stable at room temperatures and it also acts as a preservative. Good for the food manufacturers, not so good for the body.

I think the United States government ought to ban the use of trans-fats in food. Saving money for the food manufacturers isn't worth the cost to people's health.

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I think restaurants should have to put basic nutrition facts for entrees on the menu as well. Atleast calories, fat, carbs and protein. I have a feeling that when people look down and see that their burger has 700 calories in it, they'll think twice about getting it. Of course I can see why restaurants wouldn't like to have this, since showing the true facts about their food would kill their business.

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I think restaurants should have to put basic nutrition facts for entrees on the menu as well. Atleast calories, fat, carbs and protein. I have a feeling that when people look down and see that their burger has 700 calories in it, they'll think twice about getting it. Of course I can see why restaurants wouldn't like to have this, since showing the true facts about their food would kill their business.

oh come on... half pound burgers are healthy. :P

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oh come on... half pound burgers are healthy. :P

They are if you exercise! Of course there in lies the problem, nobody in America exercises..or when they do they walk on the treadmill for 30 mins at their nearest Golds Gym, DRIVE home and then lay on the couch til their 10pm snack...

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They are if you exercise! Of course there in lies the problem, nobody in America exercises..or when they do they walk on the treadmill for 30 mins at their nearest Golds Gym, DRIVE home and then lay on the couch til their 10pm snack...

you should see the gold's gym on smith st in north providence. there's a large parking lot. the laundromat i go to is right next door (the ones closest to me suck). the people from the gym fight for the parking spaces closest to the door, leaving me with the farthest spaces from the building having to carry my laundry across the whole parking lot. the gym goers even complained on craigslist rants n raves about the other businesses in that plaza that put up signs saying that certain spaces were reserved for their customers and all others would be towed. why go to the gym if you're unwilling to walk across a parking lot?

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you should see the gold's gym on smith st in north providence. there's a large parking lot. the laundromat i go to is right next door (the ones closest to me suck). the people from the gym fight for the parking spaces closest to the door, leaving me with the farthest spaces from the building having to carry my laundry across the whole parking lot. the gym goers even complained on craigslist rants n raves about the other businesses in that plaza that put up signs saying that certain spaces were reserved for their customers and all others would be towed. why go to the gym if you're unwilling to walk across a parking lot?

It's all part of the warped minds of Americans. How many people I wonder that live within a mile or two of their gym DRIVE there and then walk on a treadmill? Why not just walk there and do something else, or just walk anywhere and not have to join a gym at all?! Gyms are great for people that like to lift weights, exercise in the winter, etc., but for many they are just another product of America's lazy/paranoid culture. It's almost like we are too lazy or scared to exercise outdoors now, we must do it in an indoor fake environment. I don't get it.

I love this picture, appropriate for this discussion:

counterpoints.jpg

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