Submitted by Eric Martindale, Dec 1, 2006 20:51

The real war against trans fat is not a war against obesity, it is a war against autism, heart disease, Type II diabetes, and Alzheimer's. Comsumption of trans fat has been implicated as a major cause of all these diseases.

Since the human brain is composed mostly of Omega-3 fatty acids, the effect of different type of fats on neural development and neural functioning is particularly important. Omega-3 fatty acids assist in neural development, and trans fat interferes with neural development, hence the connection to Autism and Alzheimer's.

Trans fat is an organic chemical invented in 1905 by a chemist working for Proctor & Gamble. It increases the shelf life of foods because it is not a true food substance. It's molecule structure is similar to plastic, and that's what makes it poisonous to our bodies. We are basically embalming our foods with trans fat, and then eating them. Trans fat should be considered a poisonous substance, and completed banned from all food preperation.You should investigate www.tfx.org.uk and www.autismfries.com and then come up with a better editorial piece.

Yes, the public is smart, but most people have no clue as to the real health effects regarding the consumption of trans fat. Some would say that people have a right to make bad choices that affect only themselves. Does that basic American right include feeding so many French fries to an 1-year old child that he becomes autistic? Perhaps you should rethink your libertarian position on the issue of trans fat.

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