by New Day Producers
KING5.com
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Updated
Thursday, Jun 2 at 12:17 PM
Obesity has turned from a growing epidemic in our country to what many nutritionists describe as a crisis. Today, one third of Americans are over-weight or obese. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is helping out by regulating trans fat in our food, but there's a catch- products that claim to be trans fat-free may not actually be completely free of trans fat. So how do we know what we're buying when the labels don't tell us the entire truth?
Nutritionist Deborah Enos joins New Day to give us some advice on how to choose our food wisely.
To learn more about Deborah Enos, please click here to visit her website
More important facts that Deborah Enos and New Day want you to know regarding trans fat and healthy eating.
The FDA has stated that trans fat only needs to be listed on a food label if the food contains 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. You guessed it. If a food has 0.49 grams of trans fat the food company can say it is TRANS FAT FREE. Trans fats in any amount can be dangerous for your body. In fact, The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of 2 grams per day.
Why avoid trans fats?
1. It raises your LDL, bad cholesterol levels.
2. It lowers HDL levels.
3. It increases triglyceride levels.
4. It can cause inflammation in the body.
5. It can greatly increase your risk for heart disease (Harvard School of Public Health believes trans fats are responsible for 1 in 5 heart attacks).
Food manufacturers use trans fats because they increase shelf life, keep flavors stable and its very inexpensive. For many years, most of the “junk” foods—cookies, cakes, candies, chips, crackers, and some margarines—were made with hydrogenated (another name for trans fats) oils. But with the negative attention given to trans fats, many manufacturers are cutting back or eliminating their use. But always read your food labels.
Here is what you don’t want on your food label:
1. Hydrogenated
2. Partially hydrogenated
3. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
4. Vegetable shortening
A great quote from Harvard School of Public Health:
An analysis of the health effects of industrial trans fats conducted by researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health Department of Nutrition indicates that eliminating trans fats from the U.S. food supply could prevent up to 1 in 5 heart attacks and related deaths. That would mean a quarter of a million fewer heart attacks and related deaths each year in the United States alone.
