Trans Fat

There are four kinds of fat in food - polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated and trans. Small amounts of trans fat are found naturally in some foods, but mainly this kind of fat is created when liquid oil, like vegetable oil, is made into semi-solid fat, such as shortening or margarine.

This is the type of trans fat found in fast food meals, and it can have a big impact on your health. In fact, five grams of fat consumed every day for years can raise the risk of heart disease by 25%. Although the World Health Organization recommends lowering your personal trans fat intake to 3 grams each day, people in the 15-25 age group average 38 grams each day. That is an amazing difference. Think of how much people have to change their eating habits so that their level of trans fat is only 3 grams.






Let's look at the trans fat factor in fast food. The percentages shown in the chart below represent how much a person's risk of heart disease increases when the meal is eaten every day for a few years.

Average meal at:
KFC......................18.6 grams of trans fat.........................100%
Burger King..........13 grams
Wendy's................5 grams................................................25%
McDonald's...........1.8 grams

Even though some of McDonald's meals would contain more trans fat than Wendy's, this sample accurately shows how much fast food can affect your risk of heart disease. However, we must remember that this shows what will happen when the meal is eaten every day, not when it is just eaten once in a while.


This is not the only health problem that can result from too much trans fat. Sometimes, the fat can cause problems with a child's brain developement. I think that is even worse than the increasing risk of heart disease, because the child is not the one choosing what he or she eats. Adults have to watch what their children eat as well as what they themselves are eating.