We live in the generation of the health revolution. Every time you turn around, there's a new gym under construction. This year's biggest "superfood" is kale. Salads, smoothies, etc. There are many healthy options available to the public, but sometimes it seems like all of these healthy choices are overlooked. The so-called "obesity epidemic" is not due to food content. The problem is that we eat too much and exercise too little. Over the past decade, numerous reports have claimed that a leading cause of high cholesterol and coronary heart disease is trans fats, produced by the hydrogenation of vegetable oil. This process increases the shelf life and enhances the flavors of any product containing it (Miller). These trans fats can be very harmful, but when consumed only occasionally, they are no worse than anything else. In fact, many fast foods don't even contain trans fats. Many health activists say the only way to stop the rise of obesity, or rather the decline in health, is to ban trans fats. These activists fail to see that trans fats are not the problem. The problem lies in our country's apparent inability to choose its own well-being over the convenience of high-calorie foods, whether or not they contain trans fats. We don't need to take unnecessary government action to solve a problem that could be solved with just a teaspoon of self-control. For several years, the FDA has required food manufacturers to label anything containing more than 0.5 grams of trans fat as such (Assaf 328). Many restaurants have independently and voluntarily removed trans fats from their products without government request (Assaf 329). HHS and USDA have released a set of dietary guidelines......middle of document......get the facts quickly and provide a way for them to learn more if they want. Here again, it is up to the public to choose whether or not they wish to participate in learning about their health. If the government mandated that you eat a certain way and attend health classes once a month, things start to look a little like 1984. Works Cited Assaf, Raymen R., MA. “Overview of local, state, and national government legislation restricting trans fats.” Clinical Therapeutics 36.3 (2014): 328-32. Internet. April 27, 2014. Beato, Greg. “How Nutrition Destroys Your Free Will Towards Obesity.” Reason. December 2006: 19. Miller, Alan. “A phase of transition.” Spiked October 27, 2006 11 April 27, 2014 “Nutritional choices”. :: McDonalds.com. Np, April 22, 2014. Web. April 25, 2014. Tucker, Cynthia. “A widespread effort is needed to combat American obesity.” Portland PressHerald December 30, 2006: A9