Madison puts trans fats and your freedom in its cross-hairs

D’Oh!

Homer has something new to worry about, assuming he would ever visit the People’s Republic of Madison.

It seems that the local government in Madison is trying to work out a way to ban trans fats in the city. Using a report from a UW Madison student group, Informed Consumers Equal Improved Health, the city council is has now targeted trans fats in the city.

Now, I’m not a big fan of poor health, but I’m even less of a fan of excess government control. I don’t like smoking bans. I don’t like seatbelt laws. I don’t like bans on trans fats. In my opinion, if people are dumb enough to drive without a seatbelt and die, then oh well. If they choose to allow smoking in the business and it harms their business, then it’s their choice. If people can’t control their own intake of fatty foods and get fat or heart disease, then that’s their problem… Not the government’s.

Of course, that’s not the opinion of everybody. Just as with the smoking bans, people don’t want to have to make their own decisions. They want the decision making process removed, or at least severely limited, so that they can just do what they want without having to worry about about they do.

So what’s the big deal? We all already know what sorts of foods are heavy on the trans fats. So it would seem that the truth behind the story is that people want to be able to eat what they want without having to worry about the consequences. Personally, I think this is absurd. I eat plenty of bad food. Perhaps more than I should sometimes. But i also go to the gym three times a week. I am not overweight and I don’t have high cholesterol. I also don’t eat bad food in excess. It’s all about self-control and moderation. If donuts have fats you don’t want then limit your consumption. This isn’t rocket science here, folks.

So, personal freedoms and liberties aside, there’s also the question as to the impact on businesses. Despite what people think, certain ingredients are staples in some foods. For instance, Marv Miller, the owner of Greenbush Bakery, fears that his donuts will suffer. He is afraid that he won’t be able to get the same texture and taste out of his donuts. He needs an oil that solidifies, and isn’t sure if other types of oils will give him the same results. Regarding the proposed ban, he says:

“Before I will make a change to these types of products, I have to be sure we won’t destroy our customer base. We have a very high standard.”

Of course they do. Many companies have high standards that are dependent on certain ingredients. So is it right to strip away a company’s right to make their product as they see fit under the guise of “public health” when there isn’t an immediate health threat? This isn’t cyanide that they’re using. It’s an oil that may contribute to heart disease in large quantities.

So, instead of telling people to show some restraint when consuming donuts, they think it’s better to just take the fat out of the equation. The government is treading on dangerous territory here. Their flimsy justification for smoking bans – that it’s to protect employees from second hand smoke – can’t hold up in a trans fat ban. This is an issue that is 100% in the hands of the individuals. People have the freedom to choose what they eat and how much of it they eat. They have the ability to choose if they lead an active or a sedentary lifestyle. There is nobody forcing them to eat foods that are high in trans fats. It’s 100% on their own shoulders.

And perhaps that’s what people fear. Responsibility. Dear god, not that!

Personally, I would support an extension of the current FDA mandate requiring grocery items to disclose trans fat content. Make the restaurants disclose their trans fat content and let the consumers make the decision for themselves. An informed consumer should be able to make the decision that is right for his own lifestyle.

But when it comes down to it, there is more at stake here than just personal liberties. If people have come to enjoy a donut that tastes and feels a certain way, then there is a massive risk to the baker here. As Marv Miller says:

“The question is, will a customer come back and buy a second one? This could get real dangerous in a small operation.”

This isn’t a good thing. Madison is really moving in a bad direction by considering this. I guess the true test will be as to if they support personal liberty and business, or the special interest groups who have decided that they don’t like making decisions for themselves any more.