So California today became the first state to ban the use of trans fats in restaurants. Several cities already have banned the use of trans fats, and many fast food restaurants no longer use trans fats in their cooking, but California is the first state to apply the ban to restaurant food.
California and Oregon also have laws banning trans fats from school lunches.
That's the good news. Bad news is that the restaurant ban, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger doesn't take effect until 2010.
Artery-clogging trans fats are strongly linked to heart disease. Studies also have linked trans fats to diabetes, obesity, infertility in women and some types of cancer.