Life May End Rather Than Begin at 40

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

November 23, 2003

Have you heard of Stein's Law? It states that, "If something can't go on forever it will stop." Stein's Law always wins, it just takes time. Those who bought tech stocks thinking they would go higher and higher forever are now familiar with Stein's Law. Unfortunately, our Minister of Health, Anne McLellan, hasn't heard of this law, otherwise she would rid the nation's food supply of trans fatty acids (TFAs). A Health Minister should know that eating toxic food eventually kills. It just takes time.

It's been said that, "Life begins at 40". But recent reports show that for many children degenerative health problems could end their lives at 40.

Trans fatty acids are solid fats produced by heating liquid oils in the presence of metal catalysts and hydrogen. The process is called "partial hydrogenation" and results in a longer shelf life for supermarket products. And as I've suggested before, beware when man starts tinkering with nature.

In 1995 Dr Walter Willett, professor of nutrition at Harvard, issued a warning. He claimed that 30,000 premature deaths from heart disease were caused by TFAs. Other authorities thought the number was closer to 100,000 deaths. Studies show that TFAs increase bad cholesterol and tryclerderides and also decrease good cholesterol.

But what about 30 years from now? Today children are consuming an enormous amount of TFAs in cookies, crackers, chips, cereal bars, french fries and packaged foods all loaded with TFAs, sugar and salt. Add to this mixture childhood obesity and a lack of exercise and 100,000 deaths may soon seem like a Sunday school picnic.

So what is The Minister of Health doing? Starting in 2006 she has mandated labeling of trans fats on packaged foods. In effect, all this does is to inform consumers what poison they're taking. But surely Anne McLellan should realize it's wiser to ban this toxic garbage in our food. That's what Denmark has done.

Legislation in Denmark limits trans fats to no more than 2 per cent of total fats in processed foods. So Danes now consume less than one gram of trans fats daily. It's estimated that Canadians eat anywhere from 8 to 39 grams a day!

Dr. Steen Stender, vice-president of the Danish Nutrition Council, says, "Instead of putting the word "trans" on the label and telling people what trans fatty acids are, we simply remove the trans fats." This approach is "more consumer friendly. he states.

The more I learn about Denmark the more I like this country. In an earlier column I mentioned that the government now allows pornographic movies in senior homes on a Saturday night.

My reaction to that legislation, was why not? After all, when you're 80 Saturday night can be boring as hell when you've been looking at four walls all day. But hell will freeze over before anything that dramatic happens in this country.

So until 2006 Canadian children and the rest of us can continue to eat poisonous TFAs. Then in 2006 the poison will be labeled and we all know what that means. Few people will bother to read the labels.

For those of us who are older, eating TFAs may have little effect. There's a good chance other diseases will kill us before we succumb to TFAs. But for children it's another story.

Dr. Brian McCrindle, head of the cholesterol clinic at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, along with colleagues, carried out a battery of heart tests on a group of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. They were shocked to find that the childrens' arteries were already thickening and having trouble dilating properly. This is the frightening prelude to full-blown heart disease.

So what can parents do? Realize that Minister's of Health won't protect your children from TFAs. It's up to you to provide sound nutrition. This means starting the day with high fiber cereals rather than one loaded with sugar. Pack lunches with fresh fruit, legumes and dairy products rather than junk and packaged foods. Remember if junk food isn't in the house children can't eat it.

And never forget Stein's Law. Toxic food kills. It just takes time.

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

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Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod