The State of California is on the verge of joining New York City if Governor Schwarzenegger signs a bill into law that would prohibit restaurants and bakeries from preparing foods with oils that use unhealthy trans fat which increase your risk for obesity and heart disease.

For a couple years now, most of the leading consumable brands found at your local grocery store have been converting to oils that contain no trans fat and have also found value in marketing this conversion to an increasingly health-conscious consumer base. It is now common knowledge that eliminating trans fat does not change the taste of your favorite snacks.

So what is trans fat?

Trans fat is jargon for unsaturated fat which the human body has no need for, unlike starch or sugars which the body does need, but in limited amounts. Trans fat is essentially a mix of hydrogenated oils that was first introduced to American kitchens in the form of Crisco shortening in 1911.

We all know how unhealthy Crisco was. By the way, FDA actions over the years have caused Crisco to change its formula doing away with trans fat. But I don't know anyone who have changed their perceptions of Crisco just yet.

So the question which lies before Governor Schwarzenegger who has yet to hint if he will side with the California Restaurant Association by vetoing the Trans Fat Ban or if he will act on behalf of public health to require restaurants and bakeries up and down the state to modify the products they prepare for sell to the general public.

This proposition can easily be construed as big brother gone amok and that government should not tinker with the kitchen of a steakhouse or doughnut shop.

Others will say that if people want to eat healthy they should simply alter their food choices, be careful of portion size and get sufficient exercise.

While I am aware that requiring restaurants to use different shortenings in the short run would certainly increase their costs, I believe in the long run costs will decrease and the elimination of trans fat is an important piece to healthy eating.

When an industry does not act on its own to eliminate unhealthy ingredients, the government must act in the interest of public health. Governor Schwarzenegger should sign the bill and promote its benefits to the people of California, that's the progressive choice.