What everybody ought to know about trans fat

Obesity is already a major problem in much of the Western world. And with levels of morbid obesity predicted to increase ten-fold within the next twenty years, many health professionals are calling for something to be done now to address the problem. One of the culprits fueling high obesity levels is the inclusion of trans fat in many of the foods we commonly eat.

What are trans fats?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil – a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats”.

Where are they found?

Trans fats are a key ingredient in processed foods such as margarine, biscuits, crisps, snacks, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Unlike other fats, the majority of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine.

What does trans fat do to the human body?

Trans fat raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol,” levels in the blood. This increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, more than 12.5 million Americans have CHD, and more than 500,000 die each year. That makes CHD one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

So trans fats aren’t good for us. But given that they are so pervasive, how do we avoid them? Here are six simple steps to help you limit your dietary intake of trans fats.

Have plenty of fruit and vegetables on hand – ready access to fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably of the organic variety, is a great way for children (and adults) to avoid the temptation to snack on foods laden with trans fat. It’s also a good idea to consider juicing or cooking with any fruits and vegetables that are no longer crisp and inviting. That way, whenever you eat raw fruit and vegetables, your experience will serve as a positive affirmation of your continued desire to consume raw organic foods.

Make snacks a treat – better still, avoid conventional snacks such as potato chips and cookies altogether. This is particularly important if you have young children. Research indicates that children exposed early in life to foods such as cookies, candies and chips are more likely to continue to consume these types of foods throughout adulthood.

Prepare a shopping list before heading to the store – you will know exactly what you need and you’ll be better able to resist buying on impulse. Many of the impulse buying items thrust upon us on our way to the checkout counter contain high quantities of trans fat. Unless an item’s on your list, ignore the colourful packaging and just keep on walking.

Eat at home – no one cares about your family’s health more than you do, so try and eat at home as often as possible. Fast food chains exist to generate profit for their shareholders. Unless they perceive there to be increased risk of litigation, or the threat of some government-imposed mandate banning trans fats, fast food operators are unlikely to consider the health and well-being of their customers. Rest assured your health and well-being does not rate high among their list of priorities. Why not give fast food the flick and check out your local slow food chapter? It’s amazing the impact that eating nutritious meals at home can have on your family’s health and happiness.

Stay away from margarine – margarine is unnatural and jam-packed with trans fat. If a recipe you’re making calls for the use of butter or margarine – choose butter, preferably a good quality organic butter.

Prepare lunch the night before – when we’re busy (as most of us are during the day) it’s easy to neglect lunch. This makes lunch a high-risk meal for many of us. When midday rolls around and you can feel your stomach grumbling, it’s generally too late. Unless you’ve got something ready to go that you’ve prepared the night before, it’s just too easy to make poor food choices. Something easy, something sweet, something salty, something packaged, something takeaway, something fried – all options that are readily available at lunchtime. Not surprisingly, these choices don’t even enter into consideration when we take the time to prepare a wholemeal salad sandwich at home the night before.

Young children look to the adults in their lives for guidance. Our own attitude to food and the types of food we consume on a regular basis are likely to influence the food choices our children make later in life. So, by taking care of ourselves and avoiding options laden with trans fat whenever possible, we may just be providing the next generation with the reinforcement they need to make positive food decisions. If this helps eradicate a range of preventable lifestyle diseases, it’s got to be the right thing to do.