A December 10, 2006 piece by Steve Chapman on TownHall.com, which also appeared December 11 in the Chicago Tribune, notes in passing some perspective from ACSH on the trans fat hysteria:
New York City is a model of liberty, or perhaps anarchy, when it comes to political opinion, religion, clothing, body ornamentation, sexual proclivities and public etiquette. But even Gotham has limits. The city government -- which recently considered letting people officially designate themselves a sex different from the one indicated by their anatomy -- has decided it cannot stand by as citizens exercise their own choices about eating trans fat...
Most companies producing packaged foods began abandoning trans fat in 2004, partly in response to public concern and partly in response to pending federal rules requiring this ingredient to be listed on nutritional labels. Trans fat is most widely used in the fast-food industry, but even there, the shift has already begun. Wendy's has chucked it overboard, and KFC plans to end its use in frying next year. Trans fat used to account for 3 to 4 percent of the calories Americans ingest, but now, according to the American Council on Science and Health, it's down to 1 or 2 percent.
