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Ban on trans fat: A practical look
Be careful about using smplistic measures to change complex behaviours…
by Samara Foisy, MHSc, RD, Program Coordinator - EatSmart!, Nutrition Resource Centre
The New Year is a great time for a fresh start, with weight loss being one of the more popular of resolutions. This is the time when countless numbers of consumers search for quick fix solutions to weight loss/control, which typically fade out as quickly as they are phased in when consumers discover the difficulty of adapting to the necessary lifestyle changes.
For many, the first resolution on this year’s list may be to eliminate trans fat from their diet. On the coat tails of the McGuinty government's promise to eliminate the sale of food containing trans fats in school cafeterias and vending machines, many consumers may attempt to do the same in their own lives as an easy solution to weight loss/control.
What consumers may not realize is that while lowering the levels of trans fat in your diet will certainly help to reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke, a quick review of the evidence suggests there is no scientific consensus connecting trans fat to rising obesity rates. The types of foods containing trans fat (e.g., vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils) are more of a culprit in weight loss/control than the effect of trans fat by itself. This means that even if a food is trans-fat-free the food still has the potential to lead to increased weight.
Many consumers are aware of trans fat, yet being aware doesn't necessarily mean they understand the role these substances play in our health. Labels that display "zero trans fat" don't always mean the products are entirely void of trans fat. By law, products labeled "trans fat free" can contain up to 0.2 grams per serving. Intake of these products are more likely to increase based on consumer perceptions that the product is the appropriate serving size and their decreased guilt over consuming it since it is now "healthier."
This means consumers who munch through a large quantity of products with small amounts of trans fat, that can add up quite quickly, may not be reaping the intended health effects. To make matters even more confusing food products that are trans fat free can still contain significant amounts of other unhealthy nutrients such as sugar, refined starch, or saturated fat.
Comparable to the food industry's response to the "low fat" campaign, where products labeled as "low fat" still contained a higher content of added sugar, carbohydrate, fat replacers or other processed carbohydrates, this situation reiterates the need to be careful about simplistic measures to change complex behaviours.
What we need is to develop a complement of healthy lifestyle behaviors we can carry with us throughout our lives and shy away from simplistic or easy solutions to weight loss/control. Eliminating or reducing trans fats is only one component of a healthy dietary pattern that includes eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; limiting intake of total fats and saturated fats; being physically active; and maintaining a healthy weight.
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