Replacing trans fats could save lives

Replacing trans fats with healthier oils could prevent 30,000–100,000 premature cardiovascular deaths in the United States each year.

According to the Journal of Public Health Policy, some researchers have suggested that replacing trans fatty acids with healthier alternatives could also reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in the US by as much as 40%.

Trans fats are used to enhance the crispness, stability, and flavour of many processed foods. This has attracted the attention of consumers but eventually became a risk factor.

The Centre for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994 to require that food manufacturers label the trans fatty acid (trans fat) content of their food products. When harmful effects were evidenced, some food producers rejected the claim that trans fats are harmful and delayed any action by calling for further research. Other companies reduced the usage of trans fats.

FDA refused to ban food additives altogether.

Recently, several cities and states have banned trans fats in restaurant food.

In their journal Public Health Public, Nicholas Freudenberg from City University of New York and Sandro Galea from University of Michigan School of health said that advocates’ efforts to bring policy changes to eliminate the corporate practices influence on public health have been opposed by industry and its supporters.
They suggested considering how fundamental factors such as the current relationship between markets and government influence corporate policies and in turn how these policies influence health behaviour.