PHILADELPHIA - Some bad habits, it seems, are easier to kick than others. It took five years for Philadelphia City Council to agree on a smoking ban, but Thursday - mere weeks after the idea was first proposed - council unanimously approved a bill banning trans fats from most dishes served by city restaurants. In recent years nutritionists have vilified trans fats as a largely artificial, artery-clogging fat with no dietary benefits. Think Crisco or margarine: inexpensive, semi-solid fats with long shelf lives. The ban will take effect on Sept. 1, when restaurateurs will no longer be permitted to fry foods in trans fats or serve trans fat-based spreads. By Sept. 1, 2008, trans fats will be banned in all food prepared in Philadelphia eateries. The ban will not apply to pre-packaged foods. Councilman Juan Ramos, who sponsored the bill, said it would have a clear and quantifiable impact on the health of Philadelphia residents. ‘The result could be as much as a 6 percent reduction in coronary heart disease events in our community,’ Ramos said. New York City has already outlawed trans fats in restaurants, and 19 states are considering banning or restricting […]