Trans fat ban will play important role in encouraging healthy diet

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

The New York City ban on trans fats in restaurants could lead the way in improving the nation's diet, but attention is also needed on saturated fat and calories.
Trans fats play no positive role in the diet and are known to have an adverse effect on cholesterol profile. They raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL or 'bad') cholesterol and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL or 'good') cholesterol. They are often found in processed foods and baked goods, however, because they increase the shelf life of a product.

Now, in the interests of their citizens' health, New York City authorities have imposed a progressive ban on the use of trans fats in restaurant meals. Other cities are thinking of doing the same. Nutrition experts at Tufts University think the ban on trans fats can indeed improve the nation's diet - but they are concerned that trans fats are not replaced with saturated fat. Research carried out at Tufts recently has shown that LDL levels go higher when trans and saturated fats are the primary fat source compared to unsaturated fat as a source.

New York is also requiring calorie content to be displayed on food items in some restaurants, so that people can make a more informed choice about their meal. This is another important step forward, say the Tufts team. Because it is the total calorie content of the daily diet that leads to obesity and excluding trans fats alone will not be enough to help people reach or keep to a healthy weight.

Source
Tufts University 21st December 2006

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