With the rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease rising across the nation, local governments are stepping into the role of diet cops.
This week, King County’s board of health could join New York City and a growing list of other communities in barring restaurants from using trans fats, which increase the risk of heart disease.
Snohomish County health officials say they’re watching to see what happens in Seattle.
Trans fats, contained in shortening and margarine, are found in a variety of foods, including crackers, cookies, doughnuts, pies and pastries. French fries can be dipped in these oils even before they hit the fry basket.
“The public health concern … is they have an impact on heart disease,” said Judy Simon, a registered dietitian for the University of Washington’s Food and Nutrition Services.
By raising “bad” cholesterol, or LDL, and lowering “good” cholesterol, or HDL, trans fats set up a kind of “lose-lose” situation in the body, she said. “There are no health benefits, and there are harms.”
Heart disease is the second most common killer of adults in King County.
And more than half of adults there are classified as overweight. Health officials felt they had to take action, said Julia Patterson, a member of the King County Council and chairwoman of the county’s board of heath.
The effects of unhealthy eating “are borne by all of us through health care costs,” she said.
In addition to the proposed ban on trans fats, King County’s board of health is considering requiring chain restaurants to disclose the amount of trans fats, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sodium and calories in food they serve.
“At a grocery store, federal laws require (food) labeling,” Patterson said. “But when you go to a restaurant, you do not have that information. We think it’s appropriate to expect the same at restaurants.
“We think information can change behavior,” she added.
While few people might argue with that, the question is how to do it.
Although a Snohomish Health District report in May documented similar rising levels of heart disease, diabetes and obesity as in King County, their “top-down kind of policy is not my first strategy,” said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District.
The public health agency is looking at how area cities are attacking these health problems. Marysville’s Healthy Community project has suggested menu labeling to help guide consumers’ choices. “It’s one of many options we’re working on right now,” Goldbaum said.
“I want to make sure everything we do will have evidence to support it,” Goldbaum said, “that it’s not just something that we think sounds great, but if we do this, it will make a difference.”
In Pierce County, restaurants have been working with public health officials for nine months on a project that could be a national model for improving menu nutrition, said Anthony Anton, president and chief executive of the Washington Restaurant Association.
Emphasizing cooperation rather than regulation, participating restaurants are offering entrees with less than 600 calories and less than one-third of the recommended daily amounts of sodium and fat, he said.
“You can order a food product and say, ‘I know it’s healthy,’ ” Anton said. “Ultimately, the (public) health will improve much greater than in counties that take a 1960s approach of ‘you bad, me good.’ “
Cutting trans fats
Just two weeks after the Waterfront Fish Market in Everett opened its fish, chowder and chips take-out restaurant in April 2006, it switched from a typical oil for deep frying to an oil with zero grams of trans fat per serving.
With national talk of New York and other cities banning trans fats, “we did it to be ahead of the game,” owner D.J. Peterson said.
The alternative cooking oil is more costly, as much as $12 more for a 5-gallon container. But with most of the items on its menu deep-fried, “we wanted it to be as healthy as possible,” he said.
Like other restaurant owners, Peterson said he was worried about the change, that customers might notice a difference.
“Not one person said anything,” Peterson said. “Some people are arguing it changes the flavor of food. I would completely disagree.” In fact, some customers have complimented the restaurant for using the healthier oil.
Ivar’s restaurants began exploring alternatives to trans fat oils two-and-a-half years ago, and asked customers to participate in a taste test, said Bob Donegan, Ivar’s president.
“Customers loved the trans fat-free oil,” he said. They reported a less oily taste and said “you could taste more of the fish or clams,” he said.
Although the switch from trans fat oils has been made at Ivar’s seafood bars and restaurants, it is still struggling to make that shift at its Safeco Field concessions. The reason: Its restaurant in Mukilteo fills about 3,000 orders in 14 hours. At Safeco, they fill the same number of orders in 90 minutes.
The trans fat alternative oils “aren’t able to stand up to the pressure of that intense use,” he said. Last Thursday night, as the Mariners opened a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers, Ivar’s began its sixth test of an alternative oil.
Talk of banning trans fat oils leaves Jeff Doleshel of Ray’s Drive-In restaurant in Everett fuming and frustrated. The restaurant uses trans fat oils to cook at least half the items on its menu, including chicken and fish and chips.
“With the smoking ban, whether you agree with it or not, smoking is a clear and obvious danger,” he said. “I don’t think anyone has died of second-hand trans fat.”
Although Lombardi’s waterfront restaurant in Everett made the switch to non-trans fat oils four months ago, owner Diane Symms said she opposes governments requiring such changes.
Instead, the public should be educated about making healthy eating choices, she said. “I can tell you that we have lots of healthy menu choices, and they are not at the top of the highest sellers at the restaurant.”
“I just think we have some errant politicians who have figured out that perhaps they can look good by banning trans fats and the restaurant industry and owners aren’t going to have enough clout to stop them,” Symms said.
If public health officials are so worried about health issues, “why aren’t they banning cigarettes?” she asked.
The UW Medical Center’s food program began switching away from products with trans fat oils in June 2005. “It’s amazing how many products we found contain trans fats,” including pancake mix and canned soups, said Walter Thurnhofer, food services director.
Since then, it’s found alternatives to these products, including one Seattle company, Ly’s Donuts, that struggled for years to create a doughnut without using trans fats.
Trans fats don’t have to be listed on food labels if the food contains less than a half gram per serving, federal requirements say.
“In terms of nutritional value or even flavor, there’s really little benefit in having trans fat in anything,” Thurmhofer said.
Food manufacturers realize “this isn’t just a passing fad,” he said. “It’s here to stay.”
Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
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