Obama Administration Gets Rid Of Trans Fats

The FDA issued a final decision on trans fats Tuesday that will phase out partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of trans fat.  The food industry has three years to do so, according to Politico.

Partially hydrogenated oils are are still used in a wide variety of products from microwave popcorn to cake frosting, writes Politico.

The government’s goal is to prevent cardiovascular disease, writes Politico.  Advocates are cheering the move as a historic win for public health.

Class-action attorneys may use the ruling even before it takes effect to file lawsuits against deep-pocketed food companies that have continued to use trans fat, writes Politico.

Politico states that “the rest of the industry has reduced its use of trans fat by some 85 percent.”

According to Politico, food industry lawyers are poring over the document to see if FDA said anything that could help shield them from litigation.

The FDA on Tuesday ruled that trans fat is not “generally recognized as safe” for use in human food, according to CNN.

The department gave food manufacturers three years to remove the partially hydrogenated oils, or PHOs, from their products.

Companies can petition the FDA for a special permit to use it, but no PHOs can be added to human food unless otherwise approved by the FDA, claims CNN.

Eating a diet rich in trans fat is linked to higher body weight, heart disease and memory loss, states CNN.

It has been shown to raise the “bad,” or LDL, cholesterol in the blood, which can lead to cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of death in the United States.

(Updated article)

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/obama-bans-trans-fat-119050.html#ixzz3dLgfiWKx

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/16/health/fda-trans-fat/

Is Utah On The Verge Of Eliminating Homelessness?

Secular Talk

According to Nationswell in 2013, Utah has reduced its rate of homelessness by 74 percent over the past eight years, moving 2000 people off the street and putting the state on track to eradicate homelessness altogether by 2015.

How did they do it? They furnished apartments to the homeless, because they claim the costs are cheaper because it saves jail costs and E.R. costs.

Nationswell:

“The state is giving away apartments, no strings attached. In 2005, Utah calculated the annual cost of E.R. visits and jail stays for an average homeless person was $16,670, while the cost of providing an apartment and social worker would be $11,000. Each participant works with a caseworker to become self-sufficient, but if they fail, they still get to keep their apartment.”

Is the change in the Utah homeless rate just cyclical?

The Huffington Post states that in 2011, the Utah homeless rate was decreasing, even when the national poverty rate was increasing:

“Though a recent congressional report announced recession-driven rises in poverty rates in 46 states, Utah is coming close to achieving its 10-year goal of eliminating chronic homelessness. The solution of the state is simple: give homes to the homeless,” states The Huffington Post.

(Updated article)

More:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/30/utah-homelessness-rate-plummets_n_987695.html

http://nationswell.com/one-state-track-become-first-end-homelessness-2015/#ixzz3YWJ1mpdD