Usually, I’m quite happy that the Golden State is at the forefront, blazing trails for the rest of the nation and the world to follow, on things like stem cell research and alternative enregy and global warming. But when they hit you where it hurts, in the stomach, well… it hurts. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made it official that California will be the first trans-fat free state in the nation, although New York City has already banned restaurants from using trans-fats.

The California legislature pushed the bill through last week, and Schwarzenegger signed it into law Friday, July 25. The ban will require food providers to begin phasing out trans fat oils by July 1, 2009. Thereafter, noncompliance with the ban will result in fines of up to $1,000. - ABC News

Let’s just say that this is going to cause serious pain for a lotta people, and you’ll see new terminology coming up to deal with it. Try out ‘Trans-fat Withdrawal Syndrome’, or ‘Trans-Fat Anonymous’ or ‘Trans-fat Addiction’. No joke this. Seriously. If you’re addicted to thick, juicy burgers with the cheese melting in your mouth and mixing in the salt with the wonderful bacon and crisp buns and sauce and pickles, with a heaping plate of fries on the side, all washed down with a cheap beer, well… You’re gonna be so out of luck.. Photo by thewanderingeater via flickr (creative commons).

Maybe people could cross the border to Mexico to get a taste of trans-fat. But seriously, could this affect tourism to California? I mean, if they’re going to implement it so throughly, then I’d rather enjoy fat-fueled Honolulu vacations, than poke around on a ‘bite-less’ Los Angeles staycation.

Posted on July 26th, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: California