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PAHO task force cites scientific evidence that transfatty acids are “toxic” to human health
“To put it simply, trans fats are a toxic substance in our diets,” said Enrique Jacoby, PAHO regional advisor on healthy eating and healthy living. “There is abundant evidence of this. There is also a consensus among our task force experts that phasing trans fat out of food supplies in the Americas is not only desirable but a feasible goal.” “This is something that can be done by major food producers in a matter of months or at most a couple of years, and it’s being done by several food companies already,” said Ricardo Uauy, president of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences and professor of public health nutrition at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Uauy and Jacoby were among more than two dozen experts from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean who participated in the special task force formed to consider a PAHO proposal for a “Trans Fat-Free Americas.” A draft of the group’s conclusions will be circulated in the coming months for feedback from PAHO member governments, academics and other experts, and representatives of the food industry. Scientific studies have shown that transfatty acids contribute to heart disease by raising levels of so-called “bad cholesterol” (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL), lowering levels of “good cholesterol” (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL), and damaging the cells in the linings of blood vessels, contributing to inflammation and blockage and leading to heart attacks. A reduction of just 2-4 percent in trans fat consumption in Latin America and the Caribbean could prevent between 50,000 and 300,000 heart attacks per year, said Dariush Mozaffarian, a researcher and instructor at the Harvard School of Public Health. Trans fats are found primarily in products that contain partially hydrogenated oils, whose longer shelf life and texture make them attractive for restaurants and food processors but which have negative effects on human health. Partial hydrogenation not only creates trans fats but also “destroys the healthy Omega-3 fats that are naturally in vegetable oils,” said Walter Willett, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Regulatory efforts to eliminate transfatty acids from food supplies are already under way in countries including Denmark and Canada, and in cities such as New York City and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, a number of food producers have voluntarily begun removing trans fats from their products, including Kraft Foods and Wendy’s in the United States and Unilever in Europe. “This has turned out to be good for business,” said Uauy. In the Latin American region, health officials in Costa Rica and, more recently, Argentina have been working with food producers to drastically reduce trans fats, while Brazil is using labeling requirements, consumer warnings, and restrictions on advertising. Experts at the PAHO meeting urged cooperation between health officials and private producers to accelerate the process of eliminating trans fats from the region. “This is an area where we need to work alongside industry to develop a timetable for removing trans fats from the foods we eat and to help industry replace them with healthier alternatives,” said Jacoby. “Fortunately, the food industry is receptive to these kinds of efforts, especially when consumers voice their concerns.” Members of the task force emphasized that not all fats are bad. “We are not just talking about reducing trans fats but about increasing healthy fats in the diet. This is a positive message,” said Uauy. “The amount of fat per se is irrelevant,” said Willett. “The issue is the type of fat. We don’t just want to reduce trans fat but to introduce the best mix of healthy fats into people’s diets.” Healthier alternatives discussed included olive, canola, and soybean oils. Mozaffarian addressed concerns that some food producers might substitute saturated fats for trans fats. “Whatever trans fat is replaced with, it will be beneficial. Saturated fat is not the demon it’s been made out to be.” Willett cautioned that advising people to adopt low-fat diets in general was a mistake. He cited studies that suggest that people in the United States who adopt low-fat diets increase their consumption of refined carbohydrates, which have their own negative effects on cardiovascular health. He added that refined carbohydrates in the diet are, like trans fats, “a huge looming issue for Latin America.” This week’s task force meeting on “Trans Fat Free Americas” is part of larger PAHO efforts to address the growing burden of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of premature death throughout the Americas, as well as stroke and diabetes, which are increasing at alarming speed in the region. PAHO’s efforts in this area also include a campaign “Let’s Eat Healthy, Live Well and Get Moving, America” to help member countries promote better nutrition and increased physical activity in their populations. These initiatives fall within the framework of PAHO’s Regional Strategy on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control and its Strategy on Nutrition in Health and Development. www.paho.org Top of Page 
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