I mentioned yesterday that much has been made of the so-called Stern review on the economics of climate change.

And the argument is that we face a bleak future gripped by violent storms, rising sea levels, crippling droughts and economic chaos unless something is done to tackle global warming.

In other words, as the Daily Telegraph in London put it, global warming "threatens the basic elements of life for people around the world - access to water, food production, health and the use of land and the environment".

And in the worst case scenario, the report tells us that by 2100 an extra 250,000 children will die in the poorest countries as a result of climate change.

And up to 220 million more may fall below the $2.60 a day poverty line.

All of this from an increase in greenhouse gases.

Now as I said yesterday, it's far too early to determine whether Sir Nicholas Stern's models are correct.

And too early to comprehensively analyse the report of more than 600 pages.

But if as the report suggests we're all at risk as a result of these external conditions, why isn't there a comparable emphasis on the extent to which we put ourselves at risk in terms of what we eat, or don't eat.

How much we exercise or don't exercise.

How much we smoke or don't smoke.

I say that because only yesterday we learnt that all 5,500 of KFC's fried chicken restaurants in the United States are going to switch to cooking oil with no artery-clogging trans fats by the end of next April.

And KFC are doing the same thing at their 786 Canadian restaurants.

Now fast food is increasingly being criticised for contributing to obesity and heart disease.

KFC said earlier this week that using new healthier oil would mean there were no trans fats in any of their fried foods.

I might add that McDonalds, the world's largest restaurant chain promised in 2002 to reduce trans fats in some of its products, but while McDonalds have introduced healthier foods, it hasn't yet converted its oils.

There is any amount of research that argues that an increase of as little as 2 per cent in the consumption of common foods containing trans fatty acids can lead to a 23 per cent increase in coronary heart disease.

Many so called experts say there is no safe level of trans fats consumption.

While trans fats occur naturally in small amounts of dairy products and meat, artificially produced trans fats are manufactured in large quantities.

And they're added to most fast foods and to a range of baked supermarket goods, confectionery and sandwich spreads.

Why?

Well, to get you in, to improve the taste, the texture and, of course, the shelf life of the product.

An analysis last year by Choice magazine showed 18 common foods including pastries, party pies, sausage rolls, supermarket baked croissants had dangerously high levels of trans fats.

Some even higher than a McDonalds burger and fries.

This is what we're eating.

Trans fats offer no nutritional benefit.

And in Australia, manufacturers are not required to list the level of trans fats on labels.

So while we're talking about global warming and what it might do to the health of the world, what are we doing or not doing to our own health.

What are we doing about the almost hidden issue of trans fats and the damage they do?

The Federal Government has pledged over 100 million dollars to help combat obesity at schools.

But if obesity, as we're being told, is looming as the most important health issue in the developed world, then surely it will only be reversed when individuals from a young age understand that health and fitness are questions of personal responsibility.

And there's no quick fix.

No easy solution.

There have been many calls for more detailed food labelling.

Recently the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, the South Australian MP Christopher Pyne announced the establishment of a national collaboration on trans fats.

A bringing together of minds aimed at reducing the amount of trans fatty acids in food sold in Australia.

And Christopher Pyne has the National Heart Foundation, the Dietitians Association, the Australian Food and Grocery Council and Food Standards Australia New Zealand on side.

It's surely no excuse to say that Australians consume relatively low amounts of trans fats compared to other countries.

The fact is as Christopher Pyne argued recently, foods high in trans fats or saturated fats increase blood cholesterol levels.

Therefore increasing the risk of heart disease.

So for the sake of our own health perhaps we need to start asking a few questions about our own consumption of trans and saturated fats.

A fact sheet about trans fatty acids is on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website at www.foodstandards.gov.au.

I'm simply saying if we're going to get ourselves into a lather about global warming and the threat it poses to the world, perhaps we should start by putting our individual houses in order and start sorting out how we can improve our own health by our own behaviour.

And the first step is surely to heed the warnings about trans fatty acids in food.

The simple warning is steer clear.

Check it out.

Trans fatty acids.

That website is www.foodstandards.gov.au.