Trans fat ban would save U.S. billions

Q: When New York banned trans fats in restaurants in 2013, did it do any good? — William

O., New York City

A: Over a three-year period, New York counties that went with the new rule had a 6.2 percent decrease in hospital admissions for myocardial infarction and stroke compared with counties that didn’t.

People are catching on that food companies really only care if you’ll buy something. This has fueled the call for eliminating trans fats nationwide. Ever since 2013, when the Food and Drug Administration decided trans fats were not safe, doctors and advocates have been getting out the word that partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (that’s what trans fats are) are unhealthy. Americans now consume 80 percent fewer trans fats than they did a decade ago!

In 2018, we’re slated for nationwide trans fat regulation. Harvard’s T.C. Chan School of Public Health estimates that eliminating trans fats could prevent up to a quarter of a million heart attacks and related deaths annually. And with one piece of legislation, the federal government would see over $60 billion in annual health care savings! Currently, the federal budget is attempting to reduce costs by $80 billion a year by cutting programs for kids and the disabled. The national trans fat regulation will get us 75 percent of the way there without denying one kid vaccinations.

Q: I want my 14-year-old son to get the HPV vaccine, but only about half of his peers have had the shots. It’s still a good idea, right? — Mary G., Tulsa, Oklahoma

A: Getting your son the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine is a brilliant move — and one that every parent should do. Unfortunately, only 46 percent of adolescent boys and 60 percent of adolescent girls have been vaccinated, according to Sarah Oliver, M.D., and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That’s a shame, because the vaccine provides protection from strains of HPV that lead to noncancerous genital warts, cancer of the penis in men and of the anus and throat, and base of the tongue and tonsils in women and men. For women, it protects against cancers of the cervix, vagina and vulva.

All 11- or 12-year-olds should get two shots of Gardasil-9 — which covers nine strains of HPV — six to 12 months apart. If your child is over 14, he or she should get three shots in a six-month period. For full recommendations, ask your doc.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.