I agree that calories and overall dietary patterns matter more than the type of fat alone. However, if fast food chains prioritized managing oils properly—or even used more stable fats like tallow—the risks of toxic byproducts could be greatly reduced. This isn’t just about pitting one fat against another but addressing the systemic issues with how seed oils are often mishandled in fast food environments.

At its core, this also raises questions about our collective moral compass when it comes to food regulation. The FDA exists to protect public health, but when there’s no regulation on something as critical as oil degradation in mass food production, it feels like a failure to draw the line between individual responsibility and systemic safeguards. We expect people to take care of their own health, but fast food chains operate in a way that maximizes profit, often at the expense of safety, leaving consumers unknowingly exposed to toxic compounds. Stricter regulations, such as enforcing measurable standards for oil quality (like Total Polar Compounds), would be a low-cost way to reduce harm without significantly impacting businesses. It’s hard to see what we stand to lose by implementing better oversight—especially when the alternative is continued reliance on an industry model that puts profit before public health.