Trans Fat

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/business/13transfat.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5088&en=2695bec46a3d10f9&ex=1266123600&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&adxnnlx=1108533651-oXzRy4U0dsQZBVQh1zSovQ

This article talks about how trans fat, the partially hydrogenated oil that was initially created as a safe and more healthy alternative to saturated fats, is now known to be actually more unhealthy than the regular fat it was meant to replace. Research has proven that while trans fats raise the level of LDL(bad cholesterol) in the blood just the same as saturated fats do, they also lower the level of HDL(good cholesterol) while saturated fats do not. The solution sound simple then don't you think? All we need to do is go back to using the regular fat and we won't be any worse off than we were before. Yes, this is true, but the problem is that the trans fats have improved processing of food as well as texure and taste. For this reason it is very hard for corporations to quit using it. At the same time most consumers these days have heard of the dangers, but rarely shop to avoid it. A 1999 study showed that simply avoiding trans fats could possibly reduce the number of cardiac deaths in the U.S. by nearly 1/3. There is a campaign going on right now pushing to require the amount of trans fats in a product be printed on it's label, but that would not include fast food products. Eventually consumers will catch on and the food industry will be forced to find alternatives. The key is education and that's where we come in.