Does eating fat make you fat?
SOME LOW-CARBO DIET PLANS SUGGEST EATING FAT IS FINE, by Martica Heaner Ph.D
Q. Some low-carbohydrate diet plans suggest that eating extra fat is fine. But other diets recommend cutting out as much fat as possible. Even if you’re eating more good fat, how bad is fat for you, and will it make you fat?
A. It’s no secret that eating too much fat makes you fat—or at least that’s what many studies show, according to a 2004 review in the journal Physiology & Behavior. One reason is that, given the same serving size, fat is more fattening than other energy sources, such as protein and carbohydrates. One gram of either protein or carbohydrates contains four calories; one gram of fat contains nine calories. Of course, other than butter or oil, which are pure fat, most foods are a mix of protein, carbohydrates and/or fat. And if you control the calories you eat, fat calories can stay within the range of calories your body needs each day and you won’t gain weight.
Fat is delicious
The problem is that fat has a taste and a sensory quality that make foods more palatable. Think cheese, ice cream, crème brûlée, chocolate and french fries. If you tend to be drawn to these kinds of foods, chances are you’ll overeat simply because they taste so good. So the problem is not that fat is absolutely fattening, it’s that it can entice you to overeat. Most people tend to crave fatty foods, not cucumbers and kale, so you can overdose on calories—and pack on extra pounds.
Most fast foods and junk foods include a seductive blend of fat and salt (chips and fries) or fat and sugar (donuts, cookies and chocolate). People who eat a lot of fast food are more likely to eat more calories than they need and be overweight, especially if they are couch potatoes.
One caveat: Other culprits implicated in easy weight gain include processed carbohydrates, sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Many fast foods are stuffed with these ingredients, too. Since processed foods tend to be stripped of fiber and provide something tasty in a very concentrated form, they are usually packed with calories and are easy to overeat. It’s just that fat has been shown to be particularly tantalizing to vulnerable taste buds.
Fat is an important energy source and also provides fat-soluble vitamins that the body needs. That’s why, biologically speaking, we tend to savor it. But as most people are aware by now, there are fats and then there are fats—some types are more healthful than others. Part of the problem with the low- to no-fat dieting trends of the ’80s and ’90s was that people tried to cut out so much fat from their diets that they lost out on the good kinds, too.
But if you eat more of the right type of fat, you can eat it and still manage your weight. Plus, you can boost your health.
Good fat, bad fat
“Bad” fats are saturated fats found in animal products such as meat, butter and full-fat milk and cheese, and trans fats found in vegetable oils that have been processed to have a longer shelf life. The body needs saturated fat and even makes its own. But eating too much saturated fat tends to worsen heart-disease risk factors such as cholesterol.
So far there’s no evidence that the body needs much trans fat, and definitely not the chemically manufactured trans fat. Foods high in trans fat include certain margarines, shortening and many restaurant or packaged foods.
“Good” fats, or unsaturated fats, are found mostly in plant foods such as vegetable oils, olives, avocados and nuts, and some seafood.
Fat provides energy and helps your body absorb vitamins such as A, D, E and K. Eating more foods that contain good fats—especially foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, soybeans and walnuts—is heart-healthy because those foods improve your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease.
If you replace food containing “bad” fats with those that include “good” fats, you can easily jump off the junk-food wagon but still eat food that tastes rich and satisfying. Here are some tips to get more good fat in your diet:
If you keep track of your total caloric intake and calculate calories or grams of protein, carbohydrates and fat:
* Aim for 20 to 35 percent of calories to come from fat. That’s about 360 to 630 calories or 40 to 70 grams per day.
* Make sure that the fat does not come from red meat and cheese. Less than 10 percent of calories (180 calories, or 20 grams per day) should come from saturated fats.
* Around 10 to 25 percent of calories should come from good fat sources such as vegetable oils, nuts and avocados.
* Avoid trans fats. Many foods now have replaced trans fats with other fats; read labels.
If you’re not the calculating type, follow these simple rules to minimize bad fats and get a good dose of good fats:
* Have one or two bean-based vegetarian meals a day.
* Eat fish at least twice a week.
* Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products and lean meats and poultry.
* Nibble on nuts every day.
* Use oil instead of butter or creamy or cheesy sauces and dressings.
* Read labels and avoid all foods that contain trans fats.
Once you’ve made the switch to include more good fat and less bad, focus on increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed., is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist, and an award-winning fitness instructor and health writer. She has a Ph.D. in behavioral nutrition and physical activity from Columbia University, and is also a NASM-certified personal trainer. She has written hundreds of articles for publications such as Self , Health , Prevention , The New York Times and others.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
does eating make you fat? Answer: HELL YES
July 20th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Martica, have you watched the movie Fathead yet? Don’t publish anymore articles on this subject until you have. By the year 2020, lipid hypothesis will be on the trash heap of junk science, that is for sure.