a government ban on trans-fats
I don’t buy foods that contain trans fats for myself. I will make choices of such foods that sometimes leave me paying a little more at the grocery store. I don’t eat at burger joints anymore — in fact, outside of Subway, Chipotle, and the occasional pizza I rarely eat out at all. (That’s actually a lie, I’ll take a trip to Famous Dave’s about twice a year.)
But have we descended so far in this country that we need to have trans-fats banned by local governments?
Edward M. Burke, a longtime Chicago alderman, is pushing to prevent fast-food and national restaurant chains from using trans fats to cook their food.
But Lawrence city commissioners lack appetite for city regulation of trans fats in the restaurant industry.
“My sense is we have so many things on our plate that I don’t know there’s much interest,†Lawrence City Commissioner David Schauner said.
Trans fats — identified by the Food and Drug Administration along with saturated fat and dietary cholesterol as factors increasing the risk of heart disease — have gained growing national attention.
Beginning this year, the FDA has required that food companies add the amount of trans fat to nutrition labels.
Here’s the Schauner-to-English translation: “We were so busy banning smoking, grills, cell phones, and all the rest that we just didn’t have time for it.” (I cannot wait for my earliest opportunity to vote against this fool.)
Now, if you want to require that trans-fat information be included (as the FDA has done) with every product sold, I appreciate it. Although it does raise my hackles a little bit, I’d even consider requiring restaurants to offer trans-fat information on request.
The question I have for the people who advocate bans of things for the rest of us who are apparently too stupid to make our own decisions is this: Where does it stop?
It’s heartening, however, to see that most of the J-World’s board warriors have their heads on straight.
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