WHO says over five billion people still exposed to trans fats' devastating health impacts
Trans fat
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday (January 23) that over five billion people are exposed to higher risks of heart diseases because of trans fats. The world health body has slammed the nations which have not taken appropriate actions to address the issue and act against the toxic substance.
Experts have said that the consumption of trans fat increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Trans fat is a type of fat that has certain chemical properties. It is usually found in processed foods such as baked goods, snack foods, fried foods, etc. As reported, eating trans fats is responsible for up to 500,000 premature deaths from coronary heart disease each year around the world.
In 2018, WHO came up with the elimination of industrially produced trans fat globally. The target was set for 2023. Since its first call, the population coverage of best-practice policies has increased almost six-fold.
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WHO stated that 43 countries with combined populations of 2.8 billion people have implemented best-practice policies for tackling trans fat in food.
But more needs to be done as despite efforts, five billion are left worldwide at risk from trans fats' health impacts. The report also mentioned that the global goal for its total elimination in 2023 remains unattainable at this time.
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WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "Trans fat has no known benefit and huge health risks that incur huge costs for health systems."
"By contrast, eliminating trans fat is cost-effective and has enormous benefits for health. Put simply, trans fat is a toxic chemical that kills and should have no place in food. It’s time to get rid of it once and for all," the WHO chief added.
WHO said that nine of the 16 countries currently with the highest estimated proportion of coronary heart disease deaths caused by trans fat intake do not have a best-practice policy. Such nations are Australia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan and South Korea.
(With inputs from agencies)
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