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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts


What Do You Know About Trans Fats?

By Chris Woolston
CONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVE

If you thought saturated fat was the ultimate dietary evil, it's time for an introduction. Meet trans fats (also called trans fatty acid), another fat that's bad news. Like saturated fat, trans fats can boost your levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. It also lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol. This one-two punch makes trans fats hard on your arteries -- not to mention your heart. How much do you know about trans fats? Take this short quiz to find out.


1. According to estimates by Harvard researchers in the 1990s, how many Americans die each year of coronary heart disease caused by trans fats?

a. 1,000
b. 10,000
c. 30,000
d. 100,000

2. Which of these foods is NOT a common source of trans fats?

a. Peanut butter
b. Saltine crackers
c. Steak
d. Doughnuts

3. According to the latest guidelines, how much trans fat should a person eat each day?

a. One gram
b. Two grams
c. Five grams
d. As little as possible

4. You can often tell whether a food contains trans fats by reading the label. True or false?

True
False

5. Which of these products has the highest concentration of trans fats?

a. Vegetable shortening
b. Stick margarine
c. Canola oil
d. Butter

6. In September 2002, McDonald's announced it would start cooking with healthier oils. How did this move affect the levels of trans fats in McDonald's fries?

a. Slightly reduced trans fats
d. No real effect
c. Removed trans fats completely
b. Cut trans fat in half



First published Sep 26, 2002


Last updated Jul 24, 2007


Copyright © 2002 Consumer Health Interactive, a CVS Caremark company