It was only a matter of time.
After all the government controls what we see on television, read in books and hear on the radio. It was inevitable that one day it would control what we eat.
That day is three months away in New York City.
Tuesday the New York City's board of health banned trans fatty acids in all foods. Trans fats are basically 99 percent of all fast food. It is that synthetic material that makes McDonald’s cheeseburger wrappers transparent. Oh, and it also kills millions of Americans each year.
Yes, anyone with an iota of brains is smart enough to know that trans fats are unhealthy. So why is the government playing the part of Mom telling us what we can and can’t eat?
Is it this the next step in a totalitarian Big Brother society, or just the government trying to address a spreading epidemic of obesity caused by fast foods containing trans fats?
The new law requires all restaurants from MacDonald’s to Krispy Kreme to phase out all trans fats by July 2007. While this will make food in NY City healthier, is this going to fix the problem?
In a society where fast food has become a way of life for the general public eliminating trans fat is like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. Someone who eats five burgers a week and exercises by walking to the fridge and back isn’t going to benefit much from the new law.
The real underlying question here is why is the general public unable to eliminate trans fats from their diet on their own. When society reaches a point where it can’t control itself perhaps the government should step in.
But if that’s the case where is the line drawn?
By the same logic the government should ban other things that are bad for us like smoking, drinking or even driving which kills millions every year with accidents.
Whenever government steps in and regulates what the public can or can’t do, whether it is with food or free speech, there is a slippery slope that leads to a dictatorship.
So where does this leave NY City?
After a lifetime of trans fats, millions of overweight New Yorkers are literally addicted to this synthetic substance. Whatever soy-based substitute is used, those fast food addicts won’t be satisfied.
People will be driving to upstate New York to get their weekly fix of “real” burgers and fries. Trans fat smugglers will hollow out Tickle Me Elmo dolls to smuggle Big Mac’s and Whoppers into the city.
A black market will spring up overnight for trans fat products. The price of a KFC drumstick will be equal to crack. Shady characters will hang out in the alleys off of Broadway offering “real burgers.”
The crime rate is sure to skyrocket, as the trans fat ban will turn brother against brother and father against son. When the trans fat is out of the fast food junkie’s system doctors predict they will do anything to get a fix. Including kill.
Yes, be prepared for a violent year in NY City, as the streets are sure to run red with the trans fatty blood of fast food addicts.
1 comment:
The legislators shouldn't be targets for criticism here. They don't set the trends; in fact, it is the nature of politics for them to follow the trends.
Trans Fats has become a populist issue. That means the discussion is over and the way for restaurants to deal with it is to convert and move on, already.
As a food industry insider, I can tell you there are plenty of reasonably priced healthy, natural fat replacement ingredients that can work, and won't detract from taste. Z Trim is one of them (see page 90 of Oprah's physician, Mehmet Oz's new best seller "You on a Diet" for why it is so effective).
Check it out and let's move on.
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