Should Government Play A Role In Banning Trans Fat Use?

even flow?

I think it is as silly as the ciggie banishment. Just like fags, you can't just ban the use from certain places but allow use of the product. If you want to eat stuff after reading a warning about what it is and you have done a bit of research or just read this thread (with links) and have a reasonable idea if trans fat is good or bad for you and still go ahead and eat it. Well, you shouldn't be allowed to sue anybody. To get to the point.

So the steps are:

1. create the stuff with limited, if any testing to an extent that would keep the mouse's family happy.

2. new disease is created and real research is now being done.

3. found out the problem was what you created all this time.

4. in between step 1 and 3 some casual lawsuits and one very big one slap you down a bit. you pay, advertise that what you sell is bad, and continue to produce and sell the product.

5. public furor heats up again over some new findings and you still create the product and agree with the government to shit on the people who are the ones making you rich. all while taking more steps to appease the common monkey who has won another little war in the big scheme of things.

chopitdown

even flow? wrote:

I think it is as silly as the ciggie banishment. Just like fags, you can't just ban the use from certain places but allow use of the product. If you want to eat stuff after reading a warning about what it is and you have done a bit of research or just read this thread (with links) and have a reasonable idea if trans fat is good or bad for you and still go ahead and eat it. Well, you shouldn't be allowed to sue anybody.

Although, the cig banning is a public health issue. I can see why banning those in public is acceptable while keeping them legal in your own home or car. If you choose to smoke and do that shit to yourself and no one else is affected then fine do it in private...i'd like to see them banned altogether but that will never happen. Trans fats are the same. If you want to cook with trans fats at home, do it; but with the public health issue that it is (granted the guy eating the trans fats next to me doesn't cause my arteries to harden) I think that a responsible gov't would say that you can't use trans fats...the gov't puts TONS of limitations on food and has TONs of standards...this one is no worse than the others, in my opinion. I agree though, if you choose to use the trans fats or cigs or anything you shouldn't be able to sue anyone about it.

crittables

until the government gives me health insurance, it has no call in what i do with my body

blackredyellow

crittables wrote:

until the government gives me health insurance, it has no call in what i do with my body

The only valid reason for laws like this, is health care costs. With all of the health problems that obese people have, and the future ones the obese kids have effect our health care costs. The more and more these people are using thier health insurance, all of our rates go up to cover the added expense to insurance companies.

crittables

blackredyellow wrote:

The only valid reason for laws like this, is health care costs. With all of the health problems that obese people have, and the future ones the obese kids have effect our health care costs. The more and more these people are using thier health insurance, all of our rates go up to cover the added expense to insurance companies.

i get that, but the government is not providing me any health care, so i don't see why they care

hippiemom

MrBrian wrote:

and of course by then after all the "trouble" you've given them they've probably put a little special additive to your food called "spit"

I try to not ask too many questions when I eat out, but then again I hardly eat out because I don't trust what's in the foods, trans fat? corn syrup?

We've eaten a lot of take-out food this year because of all the chaos in my household, but we've pretty much settled on 4 places where we've gotten to know the people and the menus, and two of those are vegetarian health-food places. There are other places around that I'd like to try, but it's so much work. Between my cancer and my husband coming from a long line of people who drop over dead at early ages from heart attacks, we have to be pretty careful what we're eating, and once you have the information you've asked for, you still have to wonder how accurate it is ... I've had several "vegetarian" soups made with chicken broth, for example, so either the staff doesn't know what they're talking about, or they just give you the answers they think you want to hear so you'll shut up. And then they spit in your food, lol.

chopitdown

crittables wrote:

i get that, but the government is not providing me any health care, so i don't see why they care

there are plenty of people on medicaid / medicare. so the gov't is providing some people with health care or at least supplementation.

1970RR

blackredyellow wrote:

The only valid reason for laws like this, is health care costs. With all of the health problems that obese people have, and the future ones the obese kids have effect our health care costs. The more and more these people are using thier health insurance, all of our rates go up to cover the added expense to insurance companies.

I would think that they die sooner, which over a normal lifespan, will end up costing society less.

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." -C. S. Lewis

even flow?

chopitdown wrote:

Although, the cig banning is a public health issue. I can see why banning those in public is acceptable while keeping them legal in your own home or car. If you choose to smoke and do that shit to yourself and no one else is affected then fine do it in private...i'd like to see them banned altogether but that will never happen. Trans fats are the same. If you want to cook with trans fats at home, do it; but with the public health issue that it is (granted the guy eating the trans fats next to me doesn't cause my arteries to harden) I think that a responsible gov't would say that you can't use trans fats...the gov't puts TONS of limitations on food and has TONs of standards...this one is no worse than the others, in my opinion. I agree though, if you choose to use the trans fats or cigs or anything you shouldn't be able to sue anyone about it.

So why do people look at you like you farted in their presence when you light up at an outdoor bus stop, an outdoor stadium, etc. The outdoor concept seems to be lost on a ciggie smoker. But that is just an observation.

chopitdown

even flow? wrote:

So why do people look at you like you farted in their presence when you light up at an outdoor bus stop, an outdoor stadium, etc. The outdoor concept seems to be lost on a ciggie smoker. But that is just an observation.

there def is a backlash against smoking, right or wrong. I don't care if someone smokes outside as long as the smoke doesn't come over my direction; that's where most peoples beef is...they don't want to smell the smoke or smell like smoke and some people truly have medical issues that the smoke in cigarettes can aggrevate.

whitepants

I have no problem with the 'gov't' banning artificial food byproducts that have made people fat and unhealthy.

It should have been done years ago.

crittables

chopitdown wrote:

there are plenty of people on medicaid / medicare. so the gov't is providing some people with health care or at least supplementation.

yah well i'm one of the 40+ million without.

chopitdown

crittables wrote:

yah well i'm one of the 40+ million without.

that doesn't change the fact that the gov't spends money on health insurance for some. And it sucks that we have people w/o health insurance, but to me it doesn't have much of a bearing on banning trans fats.

crittables

chopitdown wrote:

that doesn't change the fact that the gov't spends money on health insurance for some. And it sucks that we have people w/o health insurance, but to me it doesn't have much of a bearing on banning trans fats.

i won't lie, i really don't have a problem with the gov't doing this. i just think it's ironic that the government won't provide health care for all, yet they will tell us what can and cannot go into our bodies.

jlew24asu

I'm really fighting with this one. I dont think im ready to have the government tell me what I can or cant eat. although this stuff kills 50,000 people a year. I hope they ban it but this better not turn into "give an inch, take a foot" we will be in trouble. we will all be eating our pre-package meals that the military sends out in air drops every other day.

chopitdown

crittables wrote:

i won't lie, i really don't have a problem with the gov't doing this. i just think it's ironic that the government won't provide health care for all, yet they will tell us what can and cannot go into our bodies.

oh i agree there is a sense of irony in this. But the gov't already limits what can and can't go into our bodies by means of the FDA. I guess technically it regulates what can be sold and the condition the food must be in.

tag

So does the government have the responsibility to tell us that engine oil is not a food, or that new food products being manufactured daily from toxic by-products should not be ingested, do we the people who are represented by the government have a say in what is edible depending on how quickly it will kill you or the quality of life it will leave you with in the years to come and how much you will end up paying out to the pharmasueticals who perhaps are creating the toxic food stuffs to begin with?!

Ahnimus

I love Corn Nuts

Saturated/satures 1.5g
+ Trans/trans 2.0g [size=+1]18%[/size]

callen

surferdude wrote:

I have to admit that I try to eat healthy so if I'm in a restaurant I try to stick with soup and salad, or steak and salad. I figure they can't fuck either of those combos up to much. Except if I'm drinking, then bring on the nachos with chicken platter.
quote]

funny stuff....how many times I've chosed something off the menu based on ability for restaurant to fk it up.....and the drinking part....yep again.

JOEJOEJOE

The government controls cigarettes and alcohol, since they carry heavy social costs.

We, as citizens, foot the bill for medical care for people with black lungs or drink-ravaged livers.

As "big brother" as it may seem, the govt should have some say in food products....we have the FDA to approve certain foods.

Since it seems as if many Americans can't manage their eating habits, the govt will eventually have to pay for their impending medcial care.

Its sort of like when your HMO offers flu shots or nutrition counseling....its preventive medicine.

I don't think they should ban trans-fat, but they should press the industry to produce healthier substitutes.