The Consequences of Inaction: The Case for Accelerating Trans Fat Elimination efforts in the Commonwealth

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death globally, resulting in more than 36 million deaths annually, principally from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases (WHO 2013). Commonwealth countries have a high burden of NCDs, with nearly 400 million individuals living there currently diagnosed with at least one (WHO 2018). In 2015, NCDs accounted for over 10 million deaths across the Commonwealth, with the highest prevalence among Small Island Development States (SIDS). The rise of NCDs has been primarily driven by four key modifiable risk factors: physical inactivity, tobacco use, excessive use of alcohol and unhealthy diets.

Taking action to prevent the rise in NCDs through, for example, policies and legislation, which are low cost, will play an important role in reducing the risks of NCDs and addressing the rising burden (Kluge et al. 2020). For instance, recent systematic reviews on the impacts of different policy options to reduce trans fats in the food supply – including voluntary reductions and labelling – confirm that setting a legislative mandatory limit is the most “effective, economical, and equitable policy approach” (Downs et al. 2017). This evidence indicates that the benefits of addressing unhealthy diets by lowering the prevalence of trans fatty acids (TFAs) are not just health-related but also economic (Collin et al. 2020).