2008 Woodie Awards
KFC eliminating trans fat does little to break habits
Overall choices, not fast food intake, determine health
By: Alexandra Smith
Issue date: 11/9/06 Section: Opinion/Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
I can't tell you the last time I thought about Kentucky Fried Chicken. I don't know that I could even tell you the most convenient location to my home.
The fried-chicken chain proved their status as a health-consciousness eating establishment Oct. 30 when their company, Yum Brands, Inc., announced it will switch to a cooking oil with no trans fat in all of its U.S. restaurants by April 2007. The story was all over the Internet, newspapers and radio.
I applaud Yum Brands' effort to promote reforming bad eating habits by attempting to cut all of the trans fat from its menu. However, I am somewhat surprised at how this change is being spun as a landmark decision that will save us from our own poor dining choices and make us an altogether healthier society.
Formally defined, trans fat is a type of processed fat that does not occur in nature. This fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil. This process, called hydrogenation, increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods. Research suggests a correlation between diets high in trans fats and diseases like atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
It seems to me that removing trans fat from the KFC menu is simply a way to disguise even bigger issues. Removing trans fat may make food potentially less harmful, but it doesn't necessarily promote healthier choices and a healthier way of life.
According to a Reuters article, fast food restaurants around the country have been feeling the pressure to make a change in their menus. Much of this pressure is in response to the growing issue of obesity, especially in children and adolescents, throughout the United States.
The implication that fast food restaurants have caused some kind of obesity epidemic is absurd. In a 2003 lawsuit involving McDonald's, plaintiffs sued the fast food chain claiming it was the primary cause of their obesity. The case was thrown out because the judge ruled McDonald's is not responsible for any individual's health status.
Fast food restaurants do not single-handedly cause obesity. No one ever went to KFC thinking they would get a healthy, well-balanced meal. Bad choices, among other things, cause obesity. Reforming menus with revisions such as zero trans fat does not stop people from making unhealthy decisions on what to eat.
I find it highly unlikely that the removal of trans fat from fast food menus is going to have a noticeable impact on the overall healthiness of our society. Though getting rid of trans fat may be a step in a healthier direction, it is not going to inflict any kind of real change. The hype surrounding this cooking oil switch seems to promote an idea that eating foods that are bad for you is fine, and even better when we can find an alternative or substitution to make them slightly less bad for you.
Isn't that what's happening here? News flash: trans fat is not the only thing making KFC's food unhealthy. The change may be noticeable, but it hardly puts KFC on the list of the 10 smartest dining options.
This change is a recipe for disaster. Remember when Frito-Lay introduced fat free chips? It turned out Olestra, the synthetic oil used as a substitute for dietary fats in their chips, had unpleasant side effects that made consumers happier to stick to the original, less-healthy version.
If KFC and other fast food restaurants want to inflict change in eating habits, they need to make actual changes to their menus. Substitutions aren't enough. Of course, you're always safe with the decision of eating foods that are actually good for you. I will be much more hopeful for the establishment of a happier, healthier society when I see KFC marketing that promotes eating in moderation, exercise and an overall healthy lifestyle.
Alexandra Smith, a senior journalism and dance major, is a staff writer for The Journal.
The fried-chicken chain proved their status as a health-consciousness eating establishment Oct. 30 when their company, Yum Brands, Inc., announced it will switch to a cooking oil with no trans fat in all of its U.S. restaurants by April 2007. The story was all over the Internet, newspapers and radio.
I applaud Yum Brands' effort to promote reforming bad eating habits by attempting to cut all of the trans fat from its menu. However, I am somewhat surprised at how this change is being spun as a landmark decision that will save us from our own poor dining choices and make us an altogether healthier society.
Formally defined, trans fat is a type of processed fat that does not occur in nature. This fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil. This process, called hydrogenation, increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods. Research suggests a correlation between diets high in trans fats and diseases like atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
It seems to me that removing trans fat from the KFC menu is simply a way to disguise even bigger issues. Removing trans fat may make food potentially less harmful, but it doesn't necessarily promote healthier choices and a healthier way of life.
According to a Reuters article, fast food restaurants around the country have been feeling the pressure to make a change in their menus. Much of this pressure is in response to the growing issue of obesity, especially in children and adolescents, throughout the United States.
The implication that fast food restaurants have caused some kind of obesity epidemic is absurd. In a 2003 lawsuit involving McDonald's, plaintiffs sued the fast food chain claiming it was the primary cause of their obesity. The case was thrown out because the judge ruled McDonald's is not responsible for any individual's health status.
Fast food restaurants do not single-handedly cause obesity. No one ever went to KFC thinking they would get a healthy, well-balanced meal. Bad choices, among other things, cause obesity. Reforming menus with revisions such as zero trans fat does not stop people from making unhealthy decisions on what to eat.
I find it highly unlikely that the removal of trans fat from fast food menus is going to have a noticeable impact on the overall healthiness of our society. Though getting rid of trans fat may be a step in a healthier direction, it is not going to inflict any kind of real change. The hype surrounding this cooking oil switch seems to promote an idea that eating foods that are bad for you is fine, and even better when we can find an alternative or substitution to make them slightly less bad for you.
Isn't that what's happening here? News flash: trans fat is not the only thing making KFC's food unhealthy. The change may be noticeable, but it hardly puts KFC on the list of the 10 smartest dining options.
This change is a recipe for disaster. Remember when Frito-Lay introduced fat free chips? It turned out Olestra, the synthetic oil used as a substitute for dietary fats in their chips, had unpleasant side effects that made consumers happier to stick to the original, less-healthy version.
If KFC and other fast food restaurants want to inflict change in eating habits, they need to make actual changes to their menus. Substitutions aren't enough. Of course, you're always safe with the decision of eating foods that are actually good for you. I will be much more hopeful for the establishment of a happier, healthier society when I see KFC marketing that promotes eating in moderation, exercise and an overall healthy lifestyle.
Alexandra Smith, a senior journalism and dance major, is a staff writer for The Journal.
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