On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill according to which trans fats are to be banned in all the state’s restaurants; unsurprisingly, this is the first US state to apply such a law.

Starting with 2010, trans fats, identified as being the cause of several serious conditions, must be taken out from the composition of restaurants products and by 2011, all baked goods must be completely trans fat – free.

A similar law was approved in 2006, but for a much smaller area, namely New York. It seems NY has started a trend, as soon, Philadelphia, Stamford, Conn., and Montgomery County, Md., followed its example.

California’s decision, just like the entire movement in fact, was based on thorough studies carried out by scientists and doctors. The law is targeting the state’s most popular 88,000 restaurants, all its bakeries, as well as several other units involved in the production process.

Dr. Clyde Yancy, incoming president of the American Heart Association, while talking about the newly adopted law, said he found great potential in it for reaching a better understanding of the hazards of trans fats; he went on to say that more states should be encouraged to take similar actions.

According to Dr. Clyde Yancy, a trans fat intake increase of only 2 percent can eventually raise one’s chances to develop coronary artery disease by 25 percent. He added that although the currently gathered data is just beginning to be processed and understood, it has become quite clear that embracing these fats was a mistake.

People are starting to become increasingly aware of the trans fat problem; several national chains, including KFC, Taco Bell and McDonald’s are slowly moving away from including such fats in their products.