New York Slouches Toward Nanny-State

The NYC Health Department is considering banning all trans fatty acids in restaurants. Doing this would bar restaurants from cooking with almost all publicly available shortening, margarine, mayo, etc. (I was going to make a list, but when my list became more than 20, I knew I had to stop). To switch would be an absurd economic impact on the restaurants and the move could change how national chains prepare their food. The chains possibly would change their recipes nationwide, affecting taste, and ultimately, consumer loyalty. The health commissioner doesn't seem all that concerned what the change might mean economically: "Thomas Frieden acknowledged that the ban would be a challenge for restaurants, but he said trans fats can easily be replaced with substitute oils that taste the same or better and are far less unhealthy." So, instead of people taking responsibility for their own weight and diet related health problems, the city wants to do it for you, at the cost of local businesses. Also, people would still be allowed to cook their own food with these banned ingredients, so what is the point here? Plus, more man-hours are created in the businesses and the health department enforcing and negotiating the list of allowed fatty acids.
Now, if we ever move to a socialized healthcare system, I can see why a government would want to do this. Look at how broke Canada, Britain, and Sweden are becoming because of their healthcare systems taking care of aging populations. But why does any local government in America have to worry about this, unless it's political or ideological motivation? Huh. I just answered my own question. How cool is that?