Trans Fat...Where do you stand?

[jotay]

Ok, If people want to be and eat healthy I am all for it and will do whatever I can to support them in it.
But I just do not need the gov't taking or outlawing trans fat from food.
I am grown up and if I want food w/ trans fat then it should be MY choice not someone else's. Places could offer both if need be or some places could on their own make that choice about the food they would offer, but for the local/state gov't to get in on it is friggin crazy.

I understand it is bad for you but there are other things just as bad or worse that the gov't is not banning. I guess I go crazy over this type of stuff.

Ok I will step down from my soap box

[CeraDigital]

I agree with you on this. I feel the Government is trying to take too much control over our lives. It's almost to the point where its getting rediculous. I'll eat what I eat when I want to I excersize, I weightlift, and I run. Trans fat may be bad for you, but if you live healthy instead of just "eating healthy", you'll be much better off. Dieting isn't going to be good enough...you have to put some kind of cardio somewhere in there to keep a good healthy, or some kind of excersize.

[AzureN1ght]

I guess if you go with that, you should also tell the government to stop adding vitamins and nutrients to our bread, cereal, crackers, milk, etc, etc... They regulate that because of the vitamin deficiencies that our nation used to have, which we don't anymore overall. It could be argued that they're saving people from dying of heart attacks by banning trans-fats (which are largely due to processing foods in a certain way).

I've become health concious only recently, and while I don't think it's really the government's job to make America Trans-Fat free, I think that they could spend more money on educating the average american on how to eat healthier/help pay for gym memberships, etc. I'm willing to bet that if more Americans knew what Trans-Fat was, they might try to avoid it more often.

[xdeus]

I agree that on the surfact it looks rather controlling of the government, but then you have to consider the alternative. Most corporations are looking out for their bottom dollar, so if one company makes a product with trans fat for a cheaper price than another that uses a more expensive alternative... most people will choose to purchase the cheaper product.

Take a look at other products that have been banned, and I doubt if many people would complain about them: Lead in paint, Red Dye #2, DDT, etc. Trans fat may not be as harmful as those, but the point remains the same. Read up on the history and harmful affects of trans fats, and you might change your mind...

BTW, you can also look at the flip side. If people continue to eat trans fats and in turn it creates more health problems, who do you think will foot the bill for the additional medical costs?

[jotay]

I agree that on the surfact it looks rather controlling of the government, but then you have to consider the alternative. Most corporations are looking out for their bottom dollar, so if one company makes a product with trans fat for a cheaper price than another that uses a more expensive alternative... most people will choose to purchase the cheaper product.

Take a look at other products that have been banned, and I doubt if many people would complain about them: Lead in paint, Red Dye #2, DDT, etc. Trans fat may not be as harmful as those, but the point remains the same. Read up on the history and harmful affects of trans fats, and you might change your mind...

BTW, you can also look at the flip side. If people continue to eat trans fats and in turn it creates more health problems, who do you think will foot the bill for the additional medical costs?

Gee that hasn't stopped them from banning all tobacco products or booze, and look at the health problems they cause?

Lead paint,DDT harmed others around it not just the person using it.
I don' think if I am sitting next to you eating trans fat that the fumes would affect your health.
That's the anger in my point. Why just trans fat when there re SO many other things much more harmful to the person using it and the people around it .

I agree the money used to ban it should be used to educate so then people can make THEIR own informed choice.
As far as saving people from heart problems again what about booze and tobacco

[jotay]

Sorry don't mean to offend anyone and the input on this.
I understand everyones point and they are all good.
I guess I just get a little passionate when it comes to our freedoms and the gov't getting to far into it.
That's why I put this out there to hear others thought on it

[jglass38]

Factual issues about trans fats. They are not required for good health. They increase risk of coronary disease. Foods can be made to taste just as good without them. Should they be banned? I tend to think the government has too much input already in how we live our lives. In the end, the government will always do what is best for it, not the people. They have proven that time and time again.

Big business runs the world. Why haven't cigarettes or alcohol been banned? Aspirin kills more people in a week than Ephedra based health supplements ever did, yet those were banned.

Listen, if a person wants to sit at home and indulge in whatever their poison of choice is, than go for it. I love to eat as much as the next person but I try to choose foods that are the least harmful to my body (most of the time). My only feeling is, if you are going to destroy your body, don't :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: about it later. I will have no sympathy for you. If you smoke and get cancer, I'm sorry but you were well aware of the risks. If you want to gorge yourself on junk food and get so fat that you are literally attached to your couch (http://www.wftv.com/news/3643877/detail.html). If you want to shoot junk into your veins, I won't be a pallbearer at your funeral. There is only so much that the government, family, friends or your priest can do. In the end, we make our own decisions and have to live with them.

Sure, that went a bit off topic, but I am a little off the deep end to begin with!

[SarahMB]

How does one make an informed choice when most manufactured foods contain trans fat? I suppose those of us that care about our own health as well as the health of our children should be forced to grow our own food?
Sure, it would be WONDERFUL if places would offer the choice, but the plain fact is that corporations will choose the bottom line over the health of their customers every single time.

Honestly, I'm not even sure where I stand on this topic, I've been flip-flopping on it for weeks now. But I would like to see reasonable arguments for or against it.

I don't think it's reasonable to say it only hurts those who choose to eat it. We all have to eat.

[jotay]

Factual issues about trans fats. They are not required for good health. They increase risk of coronary disease. Foods can be made to taste just as good without them. Should they be banned? I tend to think the government has too much input already in how we live our lives. In the end, the government will always do what is best for it, not the people. They have proven that time and time again.

Big business runs the world. Why haven't cigarettes or alcohol been banned? Aspirin kills more people in a week than Ephedra based health supplements ever did, yet those were banned.

Listen, if a person wants to sit at home and indulge in whatever their poison of choice is, than go for it. I love to eat as much as the next person but I try to choose foods that are the least harmful to my body (most of the time). My only feeling is, if you are going to destroy your body, don't :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: about it later. I will have no sympathy for you. If you smoke and get cancer, I'm sorry but you were well aware of the risks. If you want to gorge yourself on junk food and get so fat that you are literally attached to your couch (http://www.wftv.com/news/3643877/detail.html). If you want to shoot junk into your veins, I won't be a pallbearer at your funeral. There is only so much that the government, family, friends or your priest can do. In the end, we make our own decisions and have to live with them.

Sure, that went a bit off topic, but I am a little off the deep end to begin with!

You go Jamie! I love it.

[jotay]

How does one make an informed choice when most manufactured foods contain trans fat? I suppose those of us that care about our own health as well as the health of our children should be forced to grow our own food?
Sure, it would be WONDERFUL if places would offer the choice, but the plain fact is that corporations will choose the bottom line over the health of their customers every single time.

Honestly, I'm not even sure where I stand on this topic, I've been flip-flopping on it for weeks now. But I would like to see reasonable arguments for or against it.

I don't think it's reasonable to say it only hurts those who choose to eat it. We all have to eat.

Yes we do all have to eat And it's a shame it is about corps. and bottom line.
I just think we should have choices. If you don't care then eat it if you do then go places that don't have it.
There are healthy foods in the supermarket and unhealthy foods. We can make the choice which ones we want.