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Trans Fat and Teens by Lisa Kelly, MPH, RD - March 2005

The dietary choices teens make can lead to eating behaviors that last a lifetime. While fat may not be the first thing that teens consider when choosing a meal or after-school snack, understanding the different types of fats found in the diet may have long-term implications for their health. Because of upcoming federal regulations governing trans fat labeling on the Nutrition Facts label of packaged foods, the public has a heightened awareness of fats in general and trans fat in particular. Dietitians can take advantage of this opportunity to educate teens on healthy fat intake.

Nutrition experts agree that it’s important to consider the type of fat when evaluating dietary intake and making food choices. In general, unsaturated fats, such as mono- and polyunsaturated fats are considered “good fats,” while saturated fats and trans fats fit into the “bad fats” category. Following is a brief description of different types of fatty acids:

• Polyunsaturated fatty acid - An unsaturated fat found in greatest amounts in foods derived from plants, such as soybean, sunflower, safflower and corn. Heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids.
  
  
• Monounsaturated fatty acid - An unsaturated fat found primarily in plant foods including olive, canola and soybean.
  
  
• Saturated fatty acid - A type of fat found in greatest amounts in foods from animals, such as fatty cuts of meat, poultry with the skin, whole-milk dairy products and lard. Also found, often in lesser amounts, in some vegetable oils, including coconut and palm kernel oils. Saturated fats have been associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.
  
  
• Trans fatty acid - A fatty acid that has been produced by hydrogenating a liquid oil to make it more solid in order to increase stability and prevent oxidization.

Trans fatty acids are formed when liquid oil is partially hydrogenated to form a more stable oil that can withstand higher cooking temperatures. Products including trans fat include many teen favorites: cookies and other baked goods, crackers, potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, energy bars and French fries. Partially hydrogenated oils were introduced as an alternative to animal fats and tropical oils, which are naturally more stable due to their higher saturated fat content. Newer data suggest that trans behaves similarly to saturated fat in terms of overall effects on serum lipid levels and cardiovascular function, and health advocates are recommending that consumption of trans fats be limited.

It’s important to note that non-hydrogenated, liquid versions of cooking oils, such as soybean oil, do not contain trans fatty acids and can be used in a variety of applications that do not require intense heating or heavy frying. Liquid soybean oil provides an excellent oil for teens or their parents to use when making a simple vinaigrette to toss with a green salad or stir frying lean meats and veggies for an easy, nutritious meal. In addition to being relatively low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fats, soybean oil is also the primary commercial source of vitamin E, an important antioxidant, and it contains a number of phytosterols, which have been shown to lower serum cholesterol.

In the meantime, the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee advises that healthy Americans over the age of two limit the fat they eat. Specifically, they recommend limiting intake of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of total calories. Total fat intake should be between 20 and 35 percent of total calories. In practical terms, if teens limit their daily intake of fats and oils to about five to eight teaspoons, the American Heart Association notes they are not likely to get an excess of trans fatty acids. ^[i]

While we learn more about the effects of trans fatty acids, the American Dietetic Association’s advice remains to limit total fat intake to no more than 30 percent of overall calories. Trans fatty acids represent a much smaller contribution to the overall diet than that of saturated fatty acids. Selecting a wide variety of healthful foods, incorporating fats in the diet in moderation and enjoying regular physical activity will provide teens with the building blocks toward maintaining good health.