News

Banning trans fats will save 7,000+ UK lives

Research led by Dr Kirk Allen at Lancaster University found that an outright ban on trans fats in processed foods might prevent or postpone around 7,200 deaths from coronary heart disease over the next five years in the UK and would also save the NHS in England around £265m a year. “The risk to any […]

Research led by Dr Kirk Allen at Lancaster University found that an outright ban on trans fats in processed foods might prevent or postpone around 7,200 deaths from coronary heart disease over the next five years in the UK and would also save the NHS in England around £265m a year.

“The risk to any individual’s health from consuming trans-fats is very small,” said Professor Peter Diggle of Lancaster Medical School, who co-led the study. “Nevertheless, the principle that trans fats should not be added to processed food appears to be widely accepted, and the empirical evidence is that the best way to achieve the desired result is to regulate.”

The researchers also evaluated other policy options to reduce consumption of trans fats, finding that better food labelling or banning trans fats from restaurants and fast food outlets could save between 1,800 and 3,500 deaths.

Key factors such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status were taken into account in their computer modelling.

The research was co-authored by researchers at Oxford and Liverpool universities.