Food manufacturers use trans fats to make food last longer, taste better and retain a certain texture deemed desirable. Infusing liquid vegetable oils with hydrogen to make them solid creates these unhealthy fats; foods are cheaper to produce when made with trans fats or trans fatty acids. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, trans fats play a role in the burgeoning obesity epidemic among children.
Fast Food
Eating fast food is a way of life for many American children. Fast food restaurants are ubiquitous and play a dominant role in the dietary intake of children, leading to excessive weight gain, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Fast food typically contains high levels of saturated and trans fats, which can lead children to have an increased preference for the sugar, fats and salt inherent in fast food fare. Portions at fast food restaurants also provide excessive calories that lead to obesity.
Risks
Though heart disease usually doesn't strike until later in life, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, children who start on a regular diet high in trans fats are at a greater risk of developing heart problems by the time they turn 40 than kids who don't eat trans fats. In addition to being overweight, by the time they are 8 or 9, children who eat a steady diet of trans fats can have substantially higher cholesterol levels and fats in their arteries.
Tastes
Kids come to associate foods high in saturated and trans fats with comfort, rewards and better taste when they are exposed to the unhealthy foods as a treat, to calm them down or as a staple in their diets. According to the University of Iowa, when children are fed fresh foods without the added oils and sugar to which they've become accustomed, they may be less satisfied. Their taste buds become accustomed to the sweetness and consistency of food, making it more difficult to get them to eat healthily. Additionally, it takes more processed food to fill them up so they also become trained to eat larger portions that lead to weight gain.
Prevention
It's up to parents to control the trans fat foods their kids eat, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some of the foods kids commonly find in their own homes that are loaded with the unhealthy fats include toaster pastries, microwave popcorn, cookies, candy, stick margarine and processed frozen foods. Parents should introduce their children to fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains and rely as little as possible on prepared processed foods for meals. If you choose prepared meals, read food labels to help you select those with the least amount of saturated and trans fats.
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