Trans Fats Have Been Banned--what's Next?

New York City officially banned trans fats from use in restaurants in December of 2006, and it didn't take long for others to follow suit. Universal Studios theme parks implemented their own ban later in the month, and Philadelphia announced its intention to do the same February of 2007. At least 20 states have plans to restrict or ban trans fats in restaurants or school cafeterias.

Trans fats certainly present a health risk. Studies show that they raise bad (LDL) cholesterol and lower good (HDL) cholesterol, which significantly increases risk of heart disease. The ban of trans fat was obviously meant as a response to protect the health of the public.

However, even though the move to ban trans fat meant well, it raised a number of questions. If trans fats are bad enough to ban from use, then what kinds of foods are we allowed to eat? If you can ban trans fat, is it possible that other foods can be banned?

While this "slippery slope" argument would probably be laughed at by the ban's proponents, it seems that the question is already being raised in public forums. For example, an article on MSNBC.com titled "Trans Fats fill-ins might not be much healthier" explores the result of the trans fat ban-restaurants are turning to saturated fats to replace trans fats, which themselves are dangerous to the heart and the rest of the body as well. The ingestion of saturated fat has been shown to raise LDL cholesterol, which also has been correlated with heart disease, stroke, and other health problems.

Does this mean that we might see a saturated fat ban in the future? While this may seem unlikely, the saturated fat ban has set the precedent to legislating what the public can and cannot eat. Public health debates regarding the "obesity epidemic" have continued to rage as, despite a glut of diet plans and drugs, the nation continues to pack on the pounds. There is a sense of increasing frustration among the medical community and the nation in general as we are constantly reminded of the increased health care costs associated with overweight and obesity. Increasing restrictions on smokers have been put into place over the years, and it seems that the our collective obsession with weight loss could lead to further measures that will be seen as in the best interest of the public.

Before further bans take place, it seems necessary to emphasize individual responsibility in making healthy choices. After all, too many behaviors that individuals engage in can be construed as dangerous to their personal health, and thus also vaguely connected with rising health care costs. Do we, as a nation, really want our behavior to be controlled by this criterion? This is the question that needs to be answered, and quickly, before it's too late.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18140148/from/ET/