Ban would be good medicine for Greensboro

This column was originally published in the News & Record on February 4, 2007.

In a place like Greensboro, where one’s preference in barbecue is a statement of their personhood and fried chicken is a way of life, it seems unlikely that a trans fat ban similar to the one recently enacted in New York City would come to pass. But perhaps because of our penchant for these fatty Southern delights, North Carolina is among the states with the highest rates of obesity, diabetes and other obesity-related health problems.

Even as I rail against one more regulation dictating what I can eat, I can’t help but applaud New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s latest forward-thinking initiative, as it’s sure to have health benefits that continue to present and grow as time passes.

Though trans fats have only made headlines recently, companies like the makers of Crisco have been pumping hydrogen into oil to increase shelf-life and reduce cost for more than a century. These partially-hydrogenated oils, found in everything from restaurant fryers to baked goods to breakfast cereals, are what infuse so many foods with trans fat. Truly, other than the most vigilant of eaters, it is unlikely that any of us go a single day without consuming trans fat in one of its many forms.

Like saturated fats, trans fats have been shown to raise LDL levels – the so-called bad cholesterol. But it also goes the extra mile beyond saturated fats by lowering HDL levels – the so-called good cholesterol. Trans fats have been definitively linked to coronary heart disease and preliminarily linked to diabetes, colon cancer, infertility and more. Subsequently, no one is arguing any benefits of trans fats… at least for the consumer.

For food producers, trans fats in the form of hydrogenated oils are essential to business. While a 50 gallon container of partially-hydrogenated fat will run a restaurant roughly $15, the same amount of olive oil - which is mostly monounsaturated and therefore generally believed to be healthier - costs about $50.

As Rick Bissoondutt, owner of New York Deli and Pastry in Greensboro, said, “Obviously, what’s going to happen is increasing the price for consumers.”

In an industry in which survival requires the perfect balance of product quality, price, location and good luck, increased prices to offset increased costs could tip the scales toward untimely closing, particularly for privately-owned restaurants.

Bissoondutt bluntly said, “I can’t afford to buy a 50 gallon container of olive oil to fry our chicken and French fries.”

Those who oppose the trans fat ban, however, are more likely to cite infringements on their civil rights than the state of small business. After all, the New York smoking ban, enacted in 2003, saved non-smokers from the well-documented dangers of second-hand smoke. But trans fats hurt no one but the people who chose to consume them, meaning that Mayor Bloomberg has made it his business to protect people from themselves.

Restaurant owner Masoud Awartani argues that people need a little protecting from themselves. “It is an excellent idea to outlaw [trans fat] because people don’t know better.”

Awartani is in the catbird seat should the trans fat ban work its way south to our fair city. Zaytoon, the Mediterranean café Awartani owns with his wife, Anna, was founded on their strict ethical guidelines, utilizing whole foods, healthful fats and organic products when possible. Though far from the top-grossing restaurant in Greensboro, Zaytoon is an example of how independently-owned restaurants can be profitable without trans fat.

As a devoted foodie and former personal chef, my innumerable conversations with people about food suggest that Awartani is right in calling the trans fat ban “an educational issue”: People know the buzz words but they don’t understand the full implications of the health effects or all of the products in which these harmful fats hide.

Unfortunately, educating the masses is not as simple as wrapping city busses with a catchy slogan. Consumers are weary of conflicting nutritional information and their uncertainty – are eggs healthy this week or harmful? – makes them wary of any new finding to come down the pike. Piled on top of the apathy borne of distrust is the expense of eating healthfully. At a time when the Brookings Institution includes the three county region surrounding Greensboro in its listing of the 10 U.S. regions with the most suburban poverty, it is significant that a family can share two boxes of macaroni and cheese for just over $2 while a healthier meal, for example, a roasted chicken with broccoli and rice on the side, would easily cost four times as much.

It seems that the ban-or-not-to-ban debate comes down to the physical health of consumers versus the economic viability of both consumers and small food businesses. While no one wants a governmental finger in their Crisco-laden pie, part of the government’s job is to protect us, be it from terrorism, drunk drivers or even our own ignorance. That said, I don’t like the ban but I tend to think it’s necessary for the ongoing health of our county.

Fortunately for those of us outside of Mayor Bloomberg’s domain, the trans fat ban will no doubt send New York restaurants and food producers scrambling for a cost effective trans fat replacement. With any luck, those replacements will be in place should Greensboro eventually enact a ban, allowing us to have our New York Deli cheesecake and eat it too.