The lack of knowledge about fat has been converted to nothing less than a financial playground for low-fat and non-fat weight loss marketers. The subject of dietary fat and its relation to body fat and calories has eluded us for almost half a century. As people grow smarter in a more modern society and have a more skeptical eye than ever before, we continue to get bamboozled in this particular topic. The low fat trend began in the late 1970s and still continues to dupe us more than 40 years later. The trend began taking off when a doctor and best-selling author was quoted saying “the fat you eat is the fat you wear”.
At the very peak of this movement, almost everyone had phobias about the consumption of dietary fat. Almost every food package imaginable had the word “no fat”, “low fat” or 0% fat, and even companies that have always been fat free, such as candy were participating in the trend. Kitchen appliances were being invented promising to help eliminate fat from food and expensive drugs approved by the FDA promised weight loss by helping block the absorption of fat from food after it was eaten.
The doctor who made this statement was not entirely correct. The problem with his statement was it was over simplified and based on many factors about fat that made it believable. Also take into account that he’s a doctor and best-selling author on national TV in that time era placed credibility strongly on his side. In this new age where research is at our finger tips and it’s much easier to get a second opinion, consumers are more skeptical and not easily duped. In this new age, carbohydrates have become the new enemy and now diet book authors are telling us to eat more fat with protein. The reason fat was looked at as an enemy was because it’s more calorie dense than protein and carbohydrates. Fat has 9 calories per gram and protein and carbohydrates have only 4 calories per gram. It’s also true that too much of the wrong kinds of fat like can be deadly. Too much saturated fat and trans fats clog arteries, raise cholesterol and can lead to heart disease and stroke.
It’s true that many people have gained weight from eating too much fat but that does not mean fat should be completely demonized and all fat turns into fat in our body. There are good fats and bad fats and we can’t live without the good fats. There are also good and bad carbohydrates, but you should never listen to a doctor who tells you all carbohydrates are bad, and you should stop eating all fruits and vegetables. All food can make you fat if you eat in a calorie surplus. Fat just has a higher calorie density and needs to be eaten in moderation. A few examples of fat moderation could be eating less fried foods, less dressing on your salads, and less cooking oil in healthy recipes.
Foods labeled as none-fat or low fat does not mean less calories. Companies typically replace fat with sugar to maintain its flavor which in many cases can make the food less healthy than before. The right kinds of fat can help increase your metabolism and your body needs dietary fat in food to assimilate various vitamins and minerals and assimilate amino acids for building muscle tissue. Your brain is made mostly from fat and the membrane of the cells of your body are made from fat. Foods higher in fat do tend to be higher in calories, but everting must be eaten in moderation. Fat can help you lose weight if you eat more mono and polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fat, but all fats are calorie dense, even the good fats. Olive oil, almonds, omega-3 fish oil and avocados are examples of good fats that come with a laundry list of health and weight loss benefits but even these healthy foods can cause weight gain. If the calories you consume exceed the calories you burn.
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