Trans and Saturated Fats Facts

Trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to liquid oils so these oils stay solid at room temperatures. The American Heart Association (AHA) states that this is one of the most deadly fats you can consume, but it is still used regularly in the fast-food industry. It has been linked to increased risk of diabetes, unhealthy cholesterol levels leading to fatty plaques and hardening of the arteries, heart attacks, and strokes. The AHA recommends limiting trans fats to 1 percent of the daily diet, or two grams.

To get close to your daily dose of trans fats, order McDonald’s Bacon Clubhouse Burger. According to McDonald's website, it has 1.5 grams of trans fat per burger. Another offering is Wendy’s large chili. It offers 1.0 grams of fat per serving. It is best to stay away from any trans fat in one’s diet if at all possible.

Another fat just as problematic as trans fats are saturated fats. The AHA recommends keeping these fats close to 7 percent of the daily diet. For those with heart disease and hardening of the arteries, try to take down your daily dose to 5 or 6 percent of your diet.

Again, Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Chicken Pot Pie scores a hit. This time with 37.0 grams of saturated fat or at least 185 percent of the recommended daily amount. This may seem high, but something more suspicious is that on the site for its one-half pound Bacon Cheese Thickburger, Hardee’s doesn’t have a measurement listed, just that it is “100%” of saturated fat content.

Adult and Childhood Obesity and Fast Food

Now, to address the elephant in the room. Obesity. That’s one issue on many, but not enough, minds in this country, judging by our obesity rate. Most experts agree that fast food holds a lot of responsibility for the epidemic of obesity seen in adults and children.