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Trans Fats Banned in NYC Restaurants After Research Shows Unhealthiness
Harvard Public Health NOW On December 5, the Board of Health in New York passed a landmark ban on the use of heart-damaging trans fats in the city’s restaurants, nearly a year after packaged foods in the U.S. began listing the fat on their labels. Both milestones resulted in part from rigorous data that show how trans fats damage cardiovascular health even more than saturated fats. Walter Willett, chair of the HSPH Department of Nutrition, was a lead researcher in making the case against trans fats. As early as 1993, Willett was part of a team that included Meir Stampfer--now chair of the HSPH Department of Epidemiology--that published a groundbreaking paper suggesting a link between consumption of trans fat and coronary artery disease in women. Over the years, a cadre of HSPH-affiliated researchers has made significant contributions to trans fat research. In addition to Willett and Stampfer, the scientists include Eric Rimm, Hannia Campos, JoAnn Manson, Alberto Ascherio, Frank Hu, Carlos Camargo, Frank Sacks, Graham Colditz, Karen Peterson, and John Graham. Willett describes trans fats as "toxic" and as a contributor to tens of thousands of premature deaths in the U.S. each year. The fats are considered particularly bad because they not only raise levels of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, but also decrease levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol. More recent studies show that trans fats also increase inflammation throughout the body. “New York City’s steps to ban the use of trans fat by restaurants is simply good public health in practice,” said Willett. “A toxic chemical is being removed from our food so that customers can be confident that what they eat is as safe as possible. Other cities are sure to follow.” Trans fats are typically used in commercially prepared baked goods, margarines, snacks, and processed foods. Commercially prepared fried foods, such as French fries, also contain the substance. The fat has been favored by industry because it lengthens the shelf life of foods. Since Willett and others have sounded the alarm about trans fats, several internationally recognized food companies and restaurant chains have voluntarily removed the fat from some of their products.
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