Banning All Food With Trans-Fat to Avoid Obesity and Heart Disease, Essay Example

Introduction

Health is an important aspect of one’s living condition. With a low rate of health integrity, it is most likely that a person would become sickly thus having a hard time fighting off the effects of particular diseases in their system. One particular consideration on how to develop a higher rate of better health integrity among human individuals us the adjustment on the lifestyles that they have been accustomed to. Relatively, among the most important aspects of human lifestyle that should be given attention to is that of the food intake that humans deal with everyday.

Food is one of the basic needs of human survival. It is just right to agree then that food intake is a necessity for survival. Back in the days, food was produced to simply fill in the void that is supposed to be responded to accordingly. However, as years and generations pass, it could be understood that the value of food to human beings has gradually changed. One point to consider is that of the status of food being a source of human comfort. People did not eat anymore just to suffice their need due to hunger or as the body requires. Food then began to represent a particular aspect of satisfaction, comfort and recreation (Chavarro, et al, 2007). Due to this particular change in perception about food, humans began to explore the different ways of preparing food. Although there is nothing wrong in relation to this particular option, its development, partnered with the change of lifestyle in the society today has developed a particularly negative condition in food production. One of the most utilized elements in such food production are trans fats. Relatively, this particular substance is noted to have a negative impact on human health when consumed at high levels. This is the reason why there exists a campaign towards banning foods with trans fat content. Just what is this campaign about and why is it necessary to pursue? This particular question and the factors binding it shall be given attention to in the discussion that follows.

What is Trans Fat?

Trans-fat is noted as a fat soluble that used to be found among cattle meat, pork and some other animals food sources. These natural sources of trans fat are considered elemental when it comes to building the nutrition pyramid that the human body requires for sustenance (McGreevy, 2008). However, as time passed, the recognition of trans-fat’s use in food production has changed accordingly. Given that people are already living in fast-paced conditions, going from home towards work or school and then going about their busy days, preparing good food has become a luxury for many. As a result, the food industry has created possible ways to respond to such demand for ‘fast’ food resources (McGreevy, 2008). One of the said offerings in the industry comes in packages that are easy to cook and at some point, some are even ready to eat. Other options include eating out in fast food restaurants.

What types of food are served to human individuals concerning these particular options? Most of these food choices are fried and baked. These particular options of cooking and preparing food are noted to simply prolong the life of food choices thus making it easier for them to be stored and consumed a later time. To prepare these food choices, partially hydrogenated oils are used. This particular cooking oil is noted to prolong the life of the food being prepared. Not to mention, this particular choice of oil is a lot much cheaper that virgin coconut oil or vegetable oil. Relatively, this form of cooking produces trans fat in most food choices like baked products and fried goods sold in fast food restaurants and other goods sold in the grocery stores that are most often than not ready to eat or easily prepared for immediate consumption.

FDA or the Food and Drug Authority in the United States along with NAS or the National Academy of Sciences came up with several research studies that are dedicated to understanding and examining the impact of trans fat intake in human health. Most of these studies point out that trans fat is considered to be a relatively harmful substance when taken in by humans. The trans fat that comes from animals are considered easier to break that those that are manufactured which are present in most easy-to-eat and well-preserved products sold in the market. These types of synthetic trans fat are often hard to break therefore causing vein blockage in the heart resulting to coronary heart disease and other hear-related problems (McNamara, et al, 2007). Other trans fat substances, being hard to break, become the cause of the lowered rate of metabolism on individuals thus developing the relative condition of obesity. Overall, its intake does cause the body some intense pressure in breaking it to several shorter molecules while not being able to give any particular benefits to human health.

What Should be done?

The non-beneficial stance of trans fat when it comes to contributing to the higher level of integrity of human health status makes it useless. This is the reason why the campaign towards banning food choices with such content is being pursued by social health groups that are dedicated towards developing more distinct sources of good food for human consumption. It is believed that through this campaign, the rate of individuals developing trans-fat related ailments and physical irregularities like obesity and heart ailments would considerably decrease thus imposing a great impact on the cost of expenses that are dedicated to regulating health situations among members of the community.

Around the United States, it could be realized that such campaign is being taken seriously not only by the health experts and the institutions dedicated to the development of better health practices but by the entire government as well (Sondag, 2008). Relatively, such consideration over better health management is being pursued among schools through particular feeding programs that are dedicated to introducing good food to students. From this point, administrators and teachers are given the responsibility of promoting good and healthy practice among the students through including healthful practices in their curriculum. It is believed that through starting among the young generations of the country, a better national culture for food could be better produced.

Nevertheless, the effort of the government as aided through learning institutions is not enough to finally mandate the direction of the society towards embracing better health culture that is dedicated towards consuming only the good food choices. It is believed that the strongest element developing the condition by which humans take in food products that contain trans fat is that of the commercial industry. Food production industries are dedicated to provide the people what they want when they want it. Considering the law of demand and supply in economics, the business organizations enjoined in the food industry are compelled to create particular food choices that would appeal to what the society wants.

Given that the human society has already been accustomed to eating food choices that are comfortably convenient for consumption, it is considered hard to impose a new policy that would take them away from experiencing the satisfaction that they get from eating pastries, easy-to-prepare and ready-to-eat products as well as fast food menu choices that are readily offered in the market. Given this particular scenario, it takes more than just the desire to be healthy among human individuals. A person should have a strong conviction on what good food is and what particular level of health-integrity she or he wants to posses.

Giving educational lectures to communities is one way of opening the eyes of the people as to what type of food should they be choosing for the sake of improving their nutritional intake. The people should be given an idea on what particular food groups offered in the market actually contain trans fat thus allowing them to know what choices they have and what better choices they ought to make (McNamara,, et al, 2007). The food industry may not be that easy to convince when it comes to asking them to make less trans fat containing products given that this option gives them a better way of gaining profit from their operations. Not even ethical considerations would make it easier for these industries to specifically accept the need to reduce the use of trans fat in their food production procedures. Yes, it takes a personal conviction, an individual’s desire to remain healthy so that the campaign towards banning trans fat food choices could be won accordingly. The government could pass on different policies, but still, one fact remains strong enough to control the situation; this fact is relying on the idea that if no one asks for such food choices then there would be no reason for the food industry to make such products.

Conclusion

One’s own health is his own responsibility. This will remain true even in the context of regulating food production in the communities around the globe. Basically, the will of an individual to remain healthy defines the different choices in food groups that he considers to take in. Campaign efforts from the government and other health dedicated institutions would be easier to handle if the people would respond accordingly to the information being shared to them. Only through this aspect of collaboration and cooperation among members in the society that the lowering of the rate of individuals developing heart ailments and obesity due to excessive trans fat consumption could be won. It takes the adjustment of the human society’s psychological perception about food and its value that such campaign could be considered successful.

Works Cited

Chavarro Jorge E, Rich-Edwards Janet W, Rosner Bernard A and Willett Walter C (2007-01). “Dietary fatty acid intakes and the risk of ovulatory infertility”. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 85 (1): 231–237.

McGreevy, Patrick (2008-07-25). “Gov. Schwarzenegger signs law banning trans fats in restaurants”. Los Angeles Times.

McNamara, Robert, K.; Chang-Gyu Han, Ronald Jandacek, Therese Rider, Patrick Tso, Kevin E. Stanford, Neil M. Richtand (2007). “Selective Deficits in the Omega-3 Fatty Acid Docosahexaenoic Acid in the Postmortem Orbitofrontal Cortex of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder”. Biological Psychiatry 62 (1): 17–24.

Sondag, Samantha (25 July 2008). “Gov. signs nation’s first statewide ban on trans fats in restaurants”. San Francisco Chronicle.