The Illinois state Senate has passed legislation that would ban the use of trans fats in all schools that participate in the state lunch program.

"As the number of reports of childhood obesity rises, at least eight states have limited the use of trans fats in foods, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. California has an outright ban on trans fats in school meals, and Oregon doesn't let schools sell snacks with trans fats."

Now that the bill has been approved the by the Senate, it moves on to the House, where it's expected to pass as well. From there, the bill would have to be signed into law by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Source: Chicago Tribune.

Labels: fats, legislation, schools

A bill pending in the Illinois State Senate would ban trans fats in schools if voted into law. Senator Donne Trotter introduced the legislation, citing a school's responsibility for teaching kids the benefits of healthy eating habits.

"Illinois' bill would require the State Board of Education to eliminate cafeteria food cooked with vegetable oils containing trans fats by July 2009. A year later, all foods with added trans fats from cafeterias, vending machines and a la carte items would be outlawed. Food with naturally occurring trans fats - including meat, milk and cheese - would be exempt."

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil. While these fats improve food's flavor and increase shelf life, they have also been linked to high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Source: The Courier News - Chicago

Labels: fats, legislation, schools

Researcher Phoenix Gilman refers to low-fat diets as "myths". She cites not only the benefits of eating healthy fats like fresh cheese and eggs, but also the fact that healthy fats don't trigger insulin - which has to be present in order for the body to store fat.

"Though the low-fat diet has clearly not worked, the fear of eating healthy fat still runs rampant... However, those who follow Gilman's research are proving where the truth really lies. Her clients are losing weight - and keeping it off; reversing their type 2 diabetes; improving thyroid function... and achieving healthier cholesterol panels..."

Gilman goes on to say that low-fat diets often include too many carbs and too much sugar. Yogurt, low-fat milk, and even some fruits contain only 'simple carbs' - the same kind of sugar that's found in most candy bars and triggers insulin production. Read more at SnackandBakery.com.

Want to learn more about diets and weight loss programs? Visit the Weight Loss Help Directory for resources and information on how to lose weight and get healthy.

Labels: diet, fats, healthy_eating

Just recently, New York City passed a law to stop restaurants from using trans fats in food preparation. Trans fats are oils that have been hydrogenated from a liquid to a solid or semi-solid state, providing processed foods with a longer shelf life. Trans fats can be found in many processed foods such as baked goods and crackers, and also fried foods. They are more harmful for your body than saturated fats (a type of fat found in animal products), because they not only raise the body levels of "bad cholesterol" (LDL) but also lower the levels of "good cholesterol" (HDL).

The banning of trans fat is a good step. But health professionals caution that reducing trans fat in the diet isn't very helpful if it is replaced with saturated fat. For example, if restaurants replaced hydrogenated soybean oil (trans fat) with palm oil (50 percent saturated fat) for cooking fried foods, the health benefit would be marginal.

Consumers need to be aware of what kind of fats are present in foods—and how many calories are present as well, in order to lower weight and improve health.

Labels: fats, healthy eating, nutrition