Down with trans fats!

Source: Web exclusive: March 2008

Don’t think Ottawa is doing enough to eliminate trans fats from Canadian diets? Let your MP know that you don’t think voluntary guidelines go far enough to protect the health and well-being of Canadians. Cut and paste this form letter into an email or print it off and mail it (no postage is required for mailing to an MP on Parliament Hill). Don’t know who your MP is? Find out here.

Your name
Address

Date

Name of your MP
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear (MP’s name):

It’s been almost two years since Canada’s Trans Fat Task Force ‘ a panel co-chaired by Health Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation ‘ called for regulations to ‘virtually eliminate’ trans fats in the Canadian food supply.

Specifically, the report recommended regulations limiting trans fats in vegetable oils and soft, spreadable margarines to two per cent of total fat content, and to five per cent in all other foods containing trans fat.

The government’s recommendation that food manufacturers voluntarily comply with the above limits, and pledge to consider enacting regulations if the guidelines aren’t met by 2009, are not sufficient. After all, artery-clogging trans fats have been blamed for 2,000 heart attack deaths a year in Canada alone, and have been linked to stroke, diabetes and other serious health risks.

I am writing to call on Ottawa to take a strong, decisive stance on protecting the health and well-being of Canadians and to enact legislation that will get trans fats out of Canadian diets.

Sincerely,
Your name