Especially after the New Year, it seems like there is a stir of new diet fads, pills, and ways to lose weight- the “easy” way. But it seems that the more these items are pushed on the market, the more we Americans forget that the two easiest, cheapest ways to lose weight. Exercise and consuming less trans fat may be harder than taking a diet pill four times a day but looking fit and being fit are two totally different things. The Virginia senate has figured this out and implemented a system for public schools in the state. Although there is no stated dead line for schools but lawmakers would follow the bill to weed out as many artery-clogging trans fats in the cafeteria.

Senator John Edwards, who backed the bill said, “So much of the food children eat is from the school system, so the system ought to be providing nutritious and trans fat-free food.”

Edwards has a great point. The average student is in school for seven hours a day, guaranteeing that at least one meal will be consumed at school. We’ve all gone to the cafeteria in high school and instead of choosing the smart meal of salad and water we went for the greasy pizza and cookie mainly because it looked better than something healthy. But then you go to class, lethargic, and find it hard to pay attention. These foods aren’t just bad for the body but also for the mind.

According to the article, trans fats are concerning to the nutrition experts because “they contribute to artery problems and heart disease. Overweight children are developing signs of heart disease and diabetes at earlier ages, experts say. Trans fats, which can negatively affect cholesterol levels, are often found in margarine and many vegetable shortenings, cookies, chips and fried foods.”

We’re literally killing our children by allowing them to eat this food. We all know that childhood obesity rates have risen and I believe that this has become such a terrifying issue that many states have begun to take action on the problem. It’s not only school systems that are trying to limit trans fats but also several restaurants. But where to set the limit, because surely you cannot eliminate all trans fats from food, and I don’t think you necessarily need to. For example, if there is a choice of a school hamburger or lightly-breaded turkey strips, the strips would be a smarter decision. Most set the rate at in a given week, not more than 10% calories should be of trans fats.

Register dietitian and director of food and nutrition services for the Fairfax County, VA public schools, Penny McConnell, isn’t just eliminating food from the menu and leaving the students with just a few measly choices. She searches for healthier alternatives for those foods, like baked lays instead of the regular.

“It’s the right thing to do,” McConnell said. She hoped the measure would expand to cover other providers, such as hospitals or colleges, “but this is a good starting point.”

Like I’ve stressed in the last two posts, the more that people start to solve this problem, the more it will catch on. Some students may be upset now that Doritos, cookies, and that empty calorie snack of fries are being replaced- but later will be thankful that they aren’t suffering from a heart condition.

“Va. Senate Backs Phaseout of Trans Fats in School Food”
By Sandhya Somashekhar and Annie Gowen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, January 30, 2008; Page B01 Viewed: 1/30/08

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