A:  Fast foods are loaded with trans-fatty acids (Trans-fats). Trans-fats are polyunsaturated oils loaded with hydrogen to preserve and harden them. High intake of trans-fats increases the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Stick margarine, fast foods, commercially baked goods (doughnuts, cookies, and crackers), processed foods and fried foods contain high levels of trans-fats.

Researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina – in a 6 year study – found that feeding monkeys trans fats  8 percent of caloric intake) increased abdominal fat 30 percent more than in animals fed the same amount of calories, but no trans fats. The trans-fat dosage was the human equivalent of eating a fast-food cheeseburger and fries everyday.

The trans-fat monkeys increased weight by 7 percent, while the non-trans fat monkeys gained 2 percent. The trans-fat monkeys also had higher blood sugar levels, which mean they were insulin resistant. Americans eat 12 to 14 percent of their calories as saturated fat and 2 to 3 percent as trans- fatty acids. Nutritional experts say the goal should be a combined maximum intake of 10 percent of the total calories. People who eat 5 grams of trans-fat per day increase their risk of heart disease by 25 percent.

(This information was from a paper presented at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting, Abstract 328-OR, June 2006)