NYC Health Board Bans Trans Fats At Restaurants

I'm really not sure what my opinion should be about this. My inner libertarian says that any time the government limits our ability to decide for ourselves, it is a bad thing. Then my inner libertarian sits down and lets me ponder the situation outside of my "government is always bad" box.

(1) Buying food with trans fats isn't really a choice. Food prepared with trans fats isn't particularly labeled as such. (Perhaps a "warning label" would be better than an outright ban, inner libertarian says.)

(2) I would guess that — other than choosing another restaurant — you can't order your food "with or without" trans fats. (Perhaps a choice would be better than an outright ban... or at least those warning labels again, inner libertarian says.)

(3) Here I am just guessing, tell me if I'm wrong — for most foods (except for doughnuts, it seems) trans fats have a reasonable equivalent, healthier substitute which has a minimal effect on taste. (Inner libertarian: Most foods taste fine without trans fat, but not all... Those foods which companies decide simply taste better with trans fats should be allowed to stay that way. A serving or two of trans fats once a week won't kill you. Did I mention labels?)

(4) It seems to me that most companies are already phasing out trans fats. It's coming to the point where most consumers might assume that their food doesn't / shouldn't have trans fats in it. It's like MSG: Restaurants know that most people don't want it, and therefore don't use it. (Inner libertarian: Companies... especially the fast food restaurants, who are the worst offenders... have already, or are currently phasing out trans fats. Why make a law for something that is going away because of market forces?)

So, after all that, I can only conclude that this is an unnecessary law that — while not making it illegal to be unhealthy — certainly removes the choice of what you decide to eat from your hands and into the hands of the government. With other, less strict legal alternatives to keeping trans fats out of the mouths of unsuspecting consumers (e.g. labels), it seems especially overreaching. It may not be the same thing as forcing a cut in alcohol levels in spirits, or caffeine levels in coffee, or sugar levels in chocolate, but it's not the same thing only in degree... not effect or purpose.

(That's the way life often works on this blog: I start typing about an issue, unsure how I feel, then I reason both sides as I see them, and then I usually am able to come to a conclusion before I'm done.)