Don't be fooled by the trans-fat spin machine
You know what scares me about the ongoing trans-fat debacle? Someone could read the news and end up getting the very mistaken idea that fast-food joints were now healthy.
It seems a week doesn't go by without some story about a fast-food giant and its quest to get trans fats out of its foods. Burger King announced this fall that it was ahead of schedule with all of its restaurants now using oils that are free of trans fats.
McDonald's officials say the golden arches will be free from trans fat oils by the end of the year. Wendy's and the parent company for Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell both moved away from trans fat oils in 2007.
Of course, as each of these fast-food chains pulls trans fats from their food, their PR machines are in spin mode. They practically turn Ronald McDonald into a public health commissioner, and it's easy for someone to buy the spin and say, "Phew, thank goodness they removed the unhealthy stuff from McDonald's food."
Let me be crystal clear about this – fast food is still incredibly unhealthy. It's fattening, it causes your blood sugar to spike, and if you eat enough of it, you will become obese and develop type 2 diabetes.
Don't get me wrong – I'm glad the fast-food giants are getting rid of unnatural and dangerous trans fats. But they've clearly been aware of the dangers for years and waited to act. I'm not willing to pin a medal on them yet – and I'm certainly not going to endorse the health value of their food.
