Section 81.08 of the New York City Health Code “eliminates the use of artificial trans fat in foods stored, distributed, held for service, used in preparation of any menu item, or served in any food service establishment (1).”
Multiple stakeholders are affected by this policy. These include New York City patrons, restaurants, the New York Health Department, and public health officials. The Department of Health received 2,200 comments in favor of this policy and 70 comments in opposition. The New York Health Department and public health officials are in favor of this policy. Both groups are responsible for the health of New York City residents. The presence of trans fat in foods creates a dangerous health risk to restaurant goers. Eliminating trans-fat will help minimize preventable hazards to health (1).
New York City patrons will have varied opinions on this policy. Many will be in favor of the policy; however, some will strongly oppose it. Restaurants are likely to oppose this policy. Trans fat has certain properties that make it well suited for commercial food production. Foods containing trans-fat have greater stability, longer shelf life, and cost less (2). Unfortunately, these advantages are reached at the expense of human health. In order to make strides towards a healthier country, America has to be ready for change. Changes to city regulations are the first step.
In order to get stakeholders on board with the policy change, it will be important to provide them with information that lead legislators to the creation of this policy. Educational resources, such as pamphlets, should be distributed. The city should hold information sessions explaining the potential hazards behind the overconsumption of trans-fat...
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...org/insight/2013/californias-trans-fat-law-set-stage-for-pending-national-ban-on-the-anti-food>.
5. Jacobson, Michael. "Trans Fat Drop Huge Public Health Progress, Says CSPI ~ Newsroom ~ News from CSPI ~ Center for Science in the Public Interest." Trans Fat Drop Huge Public Health Progress, Says CSPI ~ Newsroom ~ News from CSPI ~ Center for Science in the Public Interest. CPSI, 18 Feb. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
6. Caruso, David. "The Washington Post."Washington Post. The Washington Post, 27 June 2007. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
7. Bloomberg, Michael, and Thomas Frieden. "The regulation to phase out artificial trans fat." New york city health code. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. .
A testimonial appeal stemming from the article, was taken up by Denmark, who, in 2011 said that “any foods high in saturated fat” were to be taxed, and this was passed into law. A secondary testimonial came from the United Nations, which declared that heart disease and “uncatchable” diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, etc. pose a greater risk now than ever before. Another testimonial taken from the text was this: “Western diet is now dominated by “low-cost, highly-proc...
Kushner, Jason, ed. "Fast Food and Obesity Epidemic."Nutra Legacy. Nutralegacy.com , 12 Nov 2008. Web. 16 Jan 2014. .
The New York Times. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from
Consumers are now watching what they eat, and want to avoid products that contain ingredients that have become deemed as fattening.
However, when creating fast food restaurants, the industries were not thinking about the negative effects such as obesity. Other than obesity, other harmful effects exist as well. Fast food restaurants serve unhealthy products such as greasy foods and artificial meat that lead to dietary health issues in many adults and children. A recent study showed that “Young children who are fed processed, nutrient-poor foods are likely to become unhealthy teenagers, and eventually unhealthy adults. Now twenty-three percent of teens in the U.S. are pre-diabetic or diabetic, 22% have high or borderline high LDL cholesterol levels, and 14% have hypertension or prehypertension”
It’s no secret that the U.S. is encouraging people to pursue healthier lifestyles in order to combat the obesity epidemic. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have recently joined the fight against obesity by advocating for the elimination of Trans fats from the American food supply (Tavernise, 2013). Not to mention the policy initiates that have been created in order to help combat childhood obesity (the Let’s Move policy initiative). Simply put, the nation’s p...
". The Washington Post [Washington, DC] 15 Mar. 2010: n. pag. n. pag. Washington Post.com. Web.
We make personal choices about what and where to eat. The government is not going to eliminate the unhealthy food because we think it is the cause of obesity. Ultimately, we must decide to either stay away from unhealthy food or eat them in moderation. Despite all the efforts of education, media and guidance it doesn’t prevent us from grabbing that cheeseburger with fries on the way to work. In his essay “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko argues that society should take full responsi...
Obesity is one of the major health problems that America faces today. Trans fat contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle, and if it is gone in America’s diet, people can become a bit healthier than right now. It is in most things that people eat, even without their knowledge. It can indirectly raise people’s medical costs, and make them feel more sluggish. Another reason to remove trans fat is also because it raises the risk of health problems. Digesting two to three grams a day can increase the risks of heart disease, bad cholesterol, obesity, type II diabetes, and much more. Since “more than a third of the adult population is obese”, this indirecting is a bad influence to the younger growing generations . Seeing adults eat junk food, they will be encouraged to eat the same kind of food. Food that contains trans fat in it tastes better and since it makes people desire it, people will crave more of it. It is also cheap, and since most people do not have that much money, it is a win-win situation least on the short run. Over time, if they continue this, they will develop health problems. Most Americans can not change their diets overnight, but with more knowledge about trans fat, this can be a revelation to people to slowly eat healthier and be healthier. It is time for change in America.
The government must have a say in our diets. Because the issues of obesity have already reached national scales, because the costs of obesity and related health issues have gone far beyond reasonable limits, and because fighting nutritional issues is impossible without fighting poverty and other social issues, the government should control the range and the amount of available foods. The cost of healthier foods should decrease. The access to harmful foods should be limited. In this way, the government will be able to initiate a major shift in nutritional behaviors and attitudes in society.
Harvard School of Public Health “Shining the spotlight on trans fats.” Harvard Nutrition source, n.d.
“For someone not to know that a big mac is unhealthy is ignorance, and ignorance is not the responsibility of the fast food industry,” (Daniel Speiser). The amount of fast food joints has largely increased which has become a problem for many people throughout the United States. Several people place the blame for the rising obesity among children on the rising fast food industries due to its convenience, price, advertising, and somewhat un-nutritional content. Some people even take it as far as court to place blame on the fast food industries and for those industries to make changes to their restaurants. The high percentage of obese children in the United States is not caused by the fast food industry. The obesity epidemic has other outside influences, the fast food industries have changed dramatically, and people should take responsibility for their own consumptions. It is time for people to stop placing the blame on others and take responsibility for themselves and their actions.
New nutrition laws are being created to help familiarize people with the high amount of calories in fast food. California was the first state to make a law requiring the calorie count of food to be posted on the menu boards (“Judge” par. 15). On July 1, 2007, the New York City Board of Health created a new regulation which requires the calorie count of the food to be on fast food menus (“New” par. 2). The New York State Restaurant Association is currently fighting to reject this law (“Judge” par. 2). The idea of putting the amount of calories on fast food menu boards is currently spreading...
Subway has just become the biggest fast food franchise in the United States. They advertise a healthy menu full of all natural ingredients. However a recent experiment by the Journal of Adolescent Health found people consume almost the same amount of calories at Subway as McDonalds (Lesser). Subway is not the only fast food advertising healthy options however. Despite the unhealthiness of fast food, these chains do offer some benefits. Natalie Stein,a writer for the live strong foundation, who focuses on weight loss and sports nutrition points out some crucial benefits of fast food. Stein acknowledges the convince of fast food in her article “What Are the Benefits of Fast Food?” She believes that having fast food restaurants on almost every corner is a good thing. This might be a good thing to some people, but what is too much? The conveyance of fast food chains has driven out grocery stores and ruined a chance at a healthy diet. With obesity growing in the United States maybe it’s time to rethink the actual conveyance of fast
Fat chance of beating obesity without’ strict’ food labeling. (2013, November29).The Sydney Morning Herald.[On-line]. Available: http://www.smh.com.au/national/fat-chance-of-beating-obesity-without-strict-food-labelling-20131128-2yehd.html