A few days ago, on May 15th, Montgomery County (my county) became the first county in the nation to ban trans fats from restaurants and marketplaces. Basically, anything made and or cooked in this county will have to contain no trans fats, or at least close enough to that — only 0.5 grams of trans fat are allowed per serving. There’s some leeway, and some establishments can continue to sell foods with trans fats for a while, but let’s hope the wiggle room doesn’t turn into a ballroom.

I think this is pretty cool, and it’s a step in the right direction. The law is meant to address the growing waistlines of Americans everywhere. While foods with no trans fats are great, we also need to limit our caloric intake (that means smaller portions) and get more physical activity. Legislation can only go so far. People need to take some personal responsibility if they wish to stay thin. Complaining about their weight at the water cooler won’t solve anything.