Oily food responsible for most deaths from heart disease
Elimination of trans-fat will cut the risk of deaths from non-communicable diseases
The trans-fat developed from unhealthy food is mainly responsible for heart disease, which claims 277,000 lives every year in Bangladesh.
This fat is highly injurious to health and its consumption blocks the blood flow of arteries, resulting in death risks from heart diseases.
The revelations came at the discussion and advocacy campaign "Elimination of Trans-fat Reduces Heart Disease Risks" on Sunday at the Cirdap auditorium.
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Eyeing a trans-fat-free Bangladesh by 2023, the National Heart Foundation and Research Institute, Consumers Association of Bangladesh, and Progga – an anti-tobacco organisation – jointly organised the campaign.
Professor Dr Shohel Reza Choudhury, of the heart foundation, Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, of Global Health Advocacy, and Hasan Shahriar, of Progga, jointly presented the keynote paper at the event.
Speakers said excessive intake of trans-fat increases the risk of heart diseases, stroke and type-2 diabetes. Eating foods high in trans-fat increases the "bad cholesterol" in blood serum while reducing the "good cholesterol" and ultimately afflicts people with an illness.
Usually deep-fried and bakery foods contain industrially-produced trans-fat, they added.
The government, like other countries, will take special initiatives to eliminate trans-fat from Bangladesh, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque while launching the campaign.
"It will be possible to keep the level of trans-fat under 2 percent (which is considered healthy) with coordinated efforts of the government authorities including the food ministry," he added.
Speaking as a special guest, lawmaker Dr Md Habibe Millat said, "We can certainly cut the trans-fat level to 2 percent by 2023."
National Professor Brigadier (retd) Abdul Malik, founder and president of the heart foundation, said the number of people with heart disease below 50 years of age is increasing nowadays for which trans-fat is mainly responsible.
But he has also expressed high hopes that by eliminating trans-fat the situation can be changed for good.
