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The impact of trans fat regulation on social inequalities in coronary heart disease in Australia

Kathryn Backholer and Anna Peeters
Med J Aust 2013; 199 (3): . || doi: 10.5694/mja12.11422
Published online: 5 August 2013

To the Editor: The evidence that industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFAs) increase the risk of coronary heart disease is compelling, and it is widely agreed that their use in food products should be minimised.1-3 Dietary TFAs are generally found in higher quantities in “unhealthy” food products,4 consumption of which is also found to follow predictable socio-demographic patterns.5 Thus, although the average TFA intake for Australians is relatively low, socioeconomically disadvantaged people are likely to disproportionately represent those with above average intakes.


  • Obesity and Population Health, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC.



Acknowledgements: 

Kathryn Backholer is supported by an Australian National Preventive Health Agency grant (188PEE2011), and an Australian Research Council linkage grant (LP120100418). Anna Peeters is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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  • 2. Dietz WH, Scanlon KS. Eliminating the use of partially hydrogenated oil in food production and preparation. JAMA 2012; 308: 143-144.
  • 3. Lichtenstein AH. New York city trans fat ban: improving the default option when purchasing foods prepared outside of the home. Ann Intern Med 2012; 157: 144-145.
  • 4. Hendrie GA, Coveney J, Cox D. Exploring nutrition knowledge and the demographic variation in knowledge levels in an Australian community sample. Public Health Nutr 2008; 11: 1365-1371.
  • 5. Wardle J, Parmenter K, Waller J. Nutrition knowledge and food intake. Appetite 2000; 34: 269-275.
  • 6. Hess R, Visschers VH, Siegrist M. The role of health-related, motivational and sociodemographic aspects in predicting food label use: a comprehensive study. Public Health Nutr 2012; 15: 407-414.
  • 7. Angell SY, Cobb LK, Curtis CJ, et al. Change in trans fatty acid content of fast-food purchases associated with New York city’s restaurant regulation: a pre-post study. Ann Intern Med 2012; 157: 81-86.

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