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Looks are really deceiving. Take the so-called ‘heart healthy’ foods. Made with vegetable oils, they contain little saturated fat and no cholesterol. Only thing is, they contain the most heart-unfriendly fat of all: trans fat and it's not even labeled.
Meat and dairy products do contain (naturally) small amount of trans fat. However, most trans fat in the North American (western) diet are artificial: created by bubbling hydrogen gas through vegetable oil, a process called partial hydrogenation. That transforms some of the oil’s unsaturated fat into trans fat, which helps stabilize the oil (making it useful for deep-frying and for packaged foods) and solidify it (making it suitable for margarine and many baked goods).
The end result is the same as saturated fat: clogged arteries.
According to the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, trans fat worsens blood-cholesterol levels and almost surely increases the risk of heart disease. It is worse than saturated fat. According to Meir J. Stampfer, M.D., Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, ''Studies have shown that people who eat more trans fat have a higher risk for heart disease and diabetes.''
According to Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale, trans fatty acids have an adverse effect on the blood cholesterol profile by increasing LDL and decreasing HDL. In addition, positive associations between intake of trans fatty acids and coronary heart disease have been observed in epidemiological studies. Given all the associations between trans fatty acids, dyslipidemia and heart disease, it's been hypothesized that trans fatty acids increase insulin resistance.
What makes this worse is that manufacturers are not yet required to list trans fat. So how do you protect yourself?
First thing to look up for are the words 'partially hydrogenated oils. Here's a tip: ingredients are listed in order of the most to the least amount, simply try to avoid products that list partially hydrogenated oil as one of the first three ingredients. ''If it's listed near the end, there's very little trans fat in the product,'' says Tara Geise, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
A lot of trans fat are hidden. Here's how to be smart on trans fat.
Energy Bars: Avoid the candy coated ones since they have the most trans fat. Read the ingredients label carefully and look for bars without the partially hydrogenated oils.
Hot Cocoa: Most mixes have trans fat. Make your own by heating skim milk in the microwave and adding some unsweetened cocoa and sugar.
Microwave Popcorn: The simple and healthy alternative is to air pop your own. Then flavor it with fat-free seasonings.
Muffins: Anything baked with shortening will contain trans fat. Ask bakeries or restaurants what they use. At home, bake with canola oil instead.
Pancake and Waffle Mixes: Most contain as much trans fat as cake mixes. Make your own mix or check the health food store for packaged versions without the hydrogenated oils.
Peanut Butter: Well, peanut butter contains not that much trans fat, less than 2 per cent. Still, it's better to have none at all. Buy natural peanut or almond butter (the oil will separate).
Salad Dressing: Look for dressings with no hydrogenated oils, or better yet, make your own with olive oil and vinegar and your favorite herbs and spices.
Look for shortening or partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients list. The higher they appear on the list, and the more total fat on the label, the more trans fat the product probably contains. For example, Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Bread contains partially hydrogenated oil. But because it wasn’t high on the ingredients list and total fat was low, the trans content turned out to be negligible.
In the minority of products that list the saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, you can roughly estimate the trans-fat content by toting up those fats. If the numbers don’t add up to the total fat--and if partially hydrogenated oil is a main ingredient--trans fat likely makes up most of the difference.
Look for soft or liquid margarines, which tend to have less trans fat than harder versions.
References:
http://www.consumerreports.org
http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100100001/
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Personal Trainer Certification with the I.A.R.T.
Dr. Di Pasquale is a licensed physician in Ontario, Canada, focusing on Nutrition and Sports Medicine, as well as a world class athlete for over twenty years... 
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