Abstract
We examine the impact of the trans fat ban on a variety of public health outcomes. To this end, we consider a de facto trans fat ban that was introduced by Denmark in 2001. Using the synthetic control method, parallel trends between Denmark and countries in a control group in the years prior to the ban are used to construct a “synthetic Denmark” without any such trans fat ban. Our synthetic control estimates suggest the ban led to substantial improvements in public health. Following the ban, cardiovascular mortality dropped considerably, while the trends of adolescent and child obesity came to a halt and decreased significantly compared to the synthetic control group. Our findings provide new insights into the benefits for public health arising from the banning of trans fats.
Highlights
The consumption of trans-saturated fats is long recognized as a great public health concern
Whereas our findings show no discernible effects of the trans fat acids (TFAs) ban on the fraction of overweight, the synthetic control estimates suggest the impact on average body mass index (BMI) appear to be relatively weak
We examine the effects of the trans fat ban on the cardiovascular (CVD) death rate and obesity rates for a sample of 38 countries in the period
Summary
The consumption of trans-saturated fats is long recognized as a great public health concern. The consumption of trans fat acids (TFAs), present in partially hydrogenated oils, is clearly associated with elevated LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and a drop in HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, which negatively impacts the heart and metabolism in general and is associated with rising obesity rates. Many studies over the years point to the adverse impact of trans fats (Baer et al 2004, Mozaffarian et al 2006, Teegala et al 2009, Brouwer et al 2013). The question remains: to what extent can a policy intervention aimed at limiting/removing trans fats from the food supply improve public health outcomes?. 1911, TFAs have seen widespread use due to their commercially favorable properties like long shelf life and stability while deep frying. TFAs were incorporated into various processed foods such as snacks, biscuits, deepfried foods, prepackaged foods, margarines, and crackers
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