Since trans fat restrictions were put in place four years ago in the area, trans-fat content in fast food in the NYC area has dropped, according to a new report conducted by the city.

As reported in this Reuters article, the average meal has gone from containing nearly three grams of trans fat to just half a gram.

Said Alice Lichtenstein, a nutrition science researcher from Tufts University in Boston, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, “It’s a small step forward.”

True, trans fat doesn’t have an effect on calories, but it’s still good news that consumers in the region are eating fewer of the unhealthy fat, which has been linked to heart disease risk.

Adds Lichtenstein, “We have to think about these changes within the context of the whole diet. This is one small change in the right direction. We need a whole lot more.”

Do you eat fast food? Do you think about trans fats? What are some other positive changes you’d like to see?