The danger of trans fats in food: the problem of public awareness

The article is devoted to the study of awareness of students of Ural state University of physical culture about food sources of transisomers of fatty acids and their harmful effects on health. Student’s food preferences were also analyzed from the perspective of the risk of eating a large amount of TRANS fats. The insufficient level of awareness of students about the negative consequences associated with the use of products containing TRANS fats was revealed. Problem, goal, tasks. The purpose was to study the level of awareness of students of Ural state University of physical culture about the content of TRANS fats in food, their health risks and acceptable consumption rate. Materials and methods of research. The study was conducted using a questionnaire survey, which was attended by 216 students of Ural state University of physical culture in various directions of training. Results and discussion. More than 60 % of respondents have a point of view about the food sources of transisomers of fatty acids and their harmful effects on health. At the same time, only 24 % of students know WHO recommended norm of TRANS fat in food. More than 80 % of respondents are not ready to completely abandon products containing modified fats. Conclusions and conclusions. The results show that not all students are aware of the risks associated with the use of products containing TRANS fats, and are ready to follow the rules of a healthy diet. We need additional educational work in the form of student seminars or round tables.