Why Canada should ban trans fats

ALMOST 60 PER CENT OF CANADIAN ADULTS AND 30 PER CENT OF CANADIAN CHILDREN ARE DEALING WITH WEIGHT PROBLEMS

DIANE GRIEVE THE MARTLET (UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA)

VICTORIA (CUP) — There is no denying that America is the world’s heaviest nation. But before we point and laugh at McFatty Americans and their war on obesity, we should probably take a look at our own national scale — if we can see it over our gut.

Almost 60 per cent of Canadian adults and 30 per cent of Canadian children are dealing with weight problems. Obesity is a major contributing factor to both heart disease — Canada’s number-1 killer — and diabetes, which costs taxpayers $9 billion annually. Canada is also one of the highest consumers of trans fats in the world.

Most of the trans fats that we consume are from industrial-made products that use the process of partial hydrogenation to convert oils into semi-solid forms such as margarine and lard. Most fryer oil is partially hydrogenated, and many bakery products contain high quantities of trans fats. Unlike other forms of fats, trans fats both raise levels of LDL (bad cholesterol that increases the risk of heart disease) and lower levels of HDL (good cholesterol that protects against heart disease).

Denmark banned trans fats from restaurants and grocery shelves in 2003. Recently, the New York City health department announced that it wants to phase out the use of artificial trans fats in restaurant food. The city of Chicago is thinking about doing the same. Why aren’t Canadian cities considering partial or full bans on trans fats in restaurant cooking?

There are several reasons why the restaurant industry might be reluctant to adopt such changes, especially without strict legislation forcing them to do so. Trans fats preserve shelf life, which is important to restaurants because it cuts down on food waste and thus cuts costs. Also, many restaurants would have to overhaul their entire cooking processes (think KFC), which would of course take time and cost money.

The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association is expecting the restaurant industry to have $50 billion in sales this year, so surely restaurants can afford to make changes. While it may not be a restaurant’s responsibility to look out for the long-term health and quality of life of its patrons, restaurateurs could attract more people to their establishment by doing so.

Most major cities in Canada have banned smoking in restaurants and bars, much to the chagrin of the owners and managers — who complained about the potential lost revenue — but some studies have shown an increase in patronage at bars since the ban. As the correlation to the food we eat and our health problems becomes better understood, people are likely to seek out restaurants using healthy cooking practices.

Canadians spend billions of dollars each year on eating out at restaurants and consuming food that is relatively harmful. The advent of fast foods, television use, and a more sedentary workforce and lifestyle, among other factors, have also contributed to Canada’s overall weight gain and increased health problems in the last 60 years. Clearly more than just our diets will have to change — we must look at our entire lifestyles.

Legislated elimination of artificial trans fats is an important step to better health. If it’s mandated by our governments, it would send a clear signal that we’re committed to better health and a higher standard of living for our citizens.