Despite all the public uproar about trans fats that's pushed American cities to ban them along with fast-food restaurant chains, Girl Scout cookies still have them, even after changes to their recipes. Again, it's all a matter of deceptive labeling, thanks to the folks at the FDA.

Trans fats can cause major clogging of your arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems, and have been found to increase the risk of heart disease. Many food companies use trans fat instead of oil because it reduces cost, extends storage life of products and can improve flavor and texture.

No one is arguing about how much trans fats can harm your health, it simply needs to be avoided. Period.

Now I don't want to point out the Girl Scouts as a deceptive organization, they are not. They have no conspiracy to harm the public. I was a Boy Scout and have enormous respect for the Scouting organization.

However, the Girl Scouts have made a real slip here by allowing a few people in their organization to make a SERIOUS mistake and allow this deception to occur. It is the same one that I have mentioned before. Companies are getting away with murder by having manipulated the government so they can lie and deceive the public.

The executive leadership of the Girl Scouts needs to do some thinking about this. They should be LEADERS, not promoters of fraud and deception.

I am sure many of you are involved in some way with the Girl Scout organization. If you are PLEASE do all you can to coordinate a major effort to have them change their cookies for 2008. You can start the process by using this Vital Votes page below to connect with each other and strategize how you can impact the executive leaders.

On Vital Votes, Nutrition Coach Josh Rubin from San Marcos, California says:

"This is another prime example how America and most Americans only focus on the need of giving and making money, while ignoring their health. This is just one example of it and there are many more. You see it everyday, people in Porches leaving BurgerKing, etc. ... in order to get healthy as a society, people need to start getting selfish first.

"This follows the I-WE-ALL principle that I teach my clients. The I is the foundation of who we are. It is OUR values and beliefs, knowing self, our rhythm, truly loving self, etc. Once we have this or OUR Identity as it is called, then we graduate or develop the WE.

"This is relationships and you see why many fail today, because most don't have their 'I'. Once you are able to love self, give love, but still have your I, the WE works. There is interdependency, no codependency. After you have developed the I and WE, you move onto ALL. This is family, teaching others, and so forth. So you can see the progression and how you can develop and succeed at each level.

"So in order to get healthy, you need to start with the I, developing your own script, values and beliefs. This entails eliminating all the societal and family memes that are programmed in your head about health, what is right and wrong, etc."

Other responses to this article can be viewed at Vital Votes, and you can add your own thoughts or vote on comments by first registering at Vital Votes.