Fat is good or fat is bad? [OLD]

To live we need to obtain certain types and amounts of nutrients from our diet. For example, we need fat. Actually, we need essential fatty acids. How much? Not that much. Around 3% of our total calories of omega-3 and omega-6, preferably in the ratio of 1:1 to 1:4 . Probably way less than what we are consuming now.

National Obesity Forum released a report encouraging to reduce carbohydrate and increase fat consumption (including saturated fat). Generally, we are advised not to eat too much saturated fat (and limit total fat), so this goes against healthy eating guidelines. NOF report's authors' reasoning was that "Current efforts have failed - the proof being that obesity levels are higher than they have ever been, and show no chance of reducing despite the best efforts of Government and scientists."

And that sort of makes sense. If we live in the society where 71% of people are predicted to be overweight or obese by 2025, if we need charities specifically to tackle obesity AND we've been implementing weight loss and health promoting strategies for the past four decades it means we are in trouble and something is not working.

However, I don't think it's the guidelines. Quoting dr Mike Knapton from British Heart Foundation (BHF): "This country's obesity epidemic is not caused by poor dietary guidelines; it is that we are not meeting them." We are simply not following the advice we're given! And it's not just the high levels of fat we're consuming. It's also sugar and other junk foods and soft drinks. However, carbohydrates from whole foods and added processed sugar are completely different and shouldn't be used interchangeably.

Can't you remember what happened with the last widely popular low carb diet aka Atkins? It's the same fad all over again. It's no surprise medical community didn't approve of this "evidence". As I mentioned, we do need some essential fat but going high fat is not going to help anyone's health.

 

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