• by Adrienne W. Fawcett , December 14, 2006

You can take trans fats out of restaurant food, and you can take trans fats out of store-bought goodies. But can you take trans fats out of the American diet?

It's not going to be easy.

New research indicates that consumers are aware of the evils of trans fatty acids in their diet, but they don't show much progress in giving up the stuff.

Despite rampant media coverage linking the consumption of trans fats to heart disease, obesity, cancer and other ills, people are still eating many of the fattiest foods out there when they go out to dine. According to NPD Group of Port Washington, NY, restaurant servings of breaded chicken sandwiches and fried cheese are both up 13%; cookies are up 8%, and French fries are up 2%.

"Believe it or not, many people think a breaded chicken sandwich is a healthy alternative to a hamburger," says Bonnie Riggs, restaurant-industry analyst with NPD.

And 75% of consumers who are aware of trans fats believe (erroneously) that restaurant food is higher in trans fats than the food they eat at home.

In fact, according to the Food & Drug Administration, most trans fats are consumed at home. The FDA's Office of Public Affairs reports that 40% of the trans fats consumed by the American adult come from cakes, cookies, pies and crackers. Animal products account for 21%; margarine 17%; fried potatoes 8%, and potato and corn chips account for 5%.

And while a huge chunk of the population--65%--believes trans fats pose a health hazard, people aren't studying Nutrition Facts labels on store-bought foods for evidence of the ingredient. NPD reports that trans fats appear 10th on the list of items consumers usually look for on these government-ordered labels. People are more preoccupied with total fat, calories and sugar content.

Americans, the chubbiest people in the world, seem to have a bunker mentality when it comes to eating artery-clogging foods. Riggs points out that what people say is often different from what they do. "Consumers say they want healthier alternatives, but when it comes down to it, it's other things that drive behavior: convenience, price and taste. If something doesn't taste good, consumers will not buy it."

Most people are looking for the government to save them from trans fats. A separate study from Technomic found that 63% of restaurant-goers support New York City's ban on restaurant use of trans fats. More than 70% of these consumers believe restaurant food contributes significantly to serious medical conditions.