Harvard: Time to end the Low Fat Myth

bostonwolf

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats-full-story/

It’s time to end the low-fat myth. For decades, a low-fat diet was touted as a way to lose weight and prevent or control heart disease and other chronic conditions, and food companies re-engineered products to be reduced-fat or fat-free, often compensating for differences in flavor and texture by increasing amounts of salt, sugar, or refined grains. However, as a nation, following a low-fat diet hasn’t helped us control weight or become healthier.
•In the 1960s, fats and oils supplied Americans with about 45 percent of calories; (1) about 13 percent of adults were obese and under 1 percent had type 2 diabetes, a serious weight-related condition. (2,3)
•Today, Americans take in less fat, getting about 33 percent of calories from fats and oils; (4) yet 34 percent of adults are obese and 11 percent have diabetes, most with type 2 diabetes. (5,6)

Why hasn’t cutting fat from the diet paid off as expected? Detailed research shows that the total amount of fat in the diet isn’t really linked with weight or disease. What really matters is the type of fat and the total calories in the diet. (7-15)
•Bad fats, meaning trans and saturated fats, increase the risk for certain diseases.
•Good fats, meaning monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, do just the opposite. They are good for the heart and most other parts of the body

ortega1990

Agreed - eating fat DOESN'T make you fat! Our bodies need fat.

Jess__I__Can

Yes.

_Resolve_

/signed

jasonmh630

Agreed.

tibby531

here, here! :drinker:

ironanimal

TL;DR:

Avoid trans fats
Limit Saturated fats
Keep calories at appropriate level
???
Profit

The_WoIverine

I'd love to start seeing Starch Free food one day in most foods instead of fat free. That will be VERY interesting.

Fuzzipeg

trying to keep to a more vegetarian diet, passing on ff or semi skimmed milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream in favour of skimmed and not to mention avoiding eggs can have you very low in your iodine levels. This is only needed in tiny amounts 150 microns which equals half a teaspoon in a life time but it is essential. It can help you overcome so many health problems because it not only supports the over worked thyroid it creates with other minerals the natural antiseptic barrier in saliva and other mucus linings.

Fat free milk products probably have no iodine in them at all.

Philp0718

Thank you! Eating fat does not make you fat. Eating fat free does NOT make you skinny, nor healthier. Its all a balance. :drinker:

edited for spelling.

Timshel_

I don't see much news there.

So yeah...people are still fat because they take in too many calories and we should pay attention to the type of fats we eat and not the amount necessarily. The low ft diets were super popular in the 90's and early 2k. I don't think anyone really follows that for diet anymore, but still use 'good' fat balances for health benefits.

That is all the study says.

fallingtrees

Bring on the avocados and olives!

_Waffle_

Avoiding high fat foods is mostly a means to help reduce your calorie consumption. Fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates. SInce fats weigh in at twice the calorie per gram it's pretty easy to see that cutting back on fats will reduce your calorie intake

Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories
Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories

Too bad alcohol isn't free. :-(

Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories

TLDR; - Stay within your calorie goal.

bostonwolf

trying to keep to a more vegetarian diet, passing on ff or semi skimmed milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream in favour of skimmed and not to mention avoiding eggs can have you very low in your iodine levels. This is only needed in tiny amounts 150 microns which equals half a teaspoon in a life time but it is essential. It can help you overcome so many health problems because it not only supports the over worked thyroid it creates with other minerals the natural antiseptic barrier in saliva and other mucus linings.

Fat free milk products probably have no iodine in them at all.

This is why most salts have iodine added. Most people don't get enough in their everyday diet.

bostonwolf

Avoiding high fat foods is mostly a means to help reduce your calorie consumption. Fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates. SInce fats weigh in at twice the calorie per gram it's pretty easy to see that cutting back on fats will reduce your calorie intake

Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories
Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories

Too bad alcohol isn't free. :-(

Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories

TLDR; - Stay within your calorie goal.

I'm guessing you did not read the article. Fats keep you satiated far, far longer than an equivalent amount of carbohydrates. So you end up eating less overall, not more.

Your thinking here is misguided, and exactly the type of thinking the Harvard School of Public Health has decided to publicly fight against.

bostonwolf

Since this must have been missed before:

•In the 1960s, fats and oils supplied Americans with about 45 percent of calories; (1) about 13 percent of adults were obese and under 1 percent had type 2 diabetes, a serious weight-related condition. (2,3)

•Today, Americans take in less fat, getting about 33 percent of calories from fats and oils; (4) yet 34 percent of adults are obese and 11 percent have diabetes, most with type 2 diabetes. (5,6)

_Waffle_

Avoiding high fat foods is mostly a means to help reduce your calorie consumption. Fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates. SInce fats weigh in at twice the calorie per gram it's pretty easy to see that cutting back on fats will reduce your calorie intake

Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories
Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories

Too bad alcohol isn't free. :-(

Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories

TLDR; - Stay within your calorie goal.

I'm guessing you did not read the article. Fats keep you satiated far, far longer than an equivalent amount of carbohydrates. So you end up eating less overall, not more.

Your thinking here is misguided, and exactly the type of thinking the Harvard School of Public Health has decided to publicly fight against.

I didn't say you should avoid fats. Just eat whatever you like (within reason) and stay within your calorie goal. Fats aren't evil but that double Whopper with cheese is 1,000 calories. Don't go all in and have bacon for every meal.

No_Finish_Line

I'd love to start seeing Starch Free food one day in most foods instead of fat free. That will be VERY interesting.

i suppose but it seems to me that the same principals would applie. i.e. what really matters is how many calories.

Jim1960

The thing is a successful diet is not simply stay within your calories. That is far too simplistic and naive. A successful diet is one that provides you with the energy you need (and not in excess); is satisfying (satiating), helps you have the energy output you need throughout the day, provides you with the essential nutrients your body needs to repair and help you resist disease, and is one you can actually maintain over an extended period of time. What that diet actually is in terms of food is highly dependent on who you are, your natural strengths and weaknesses, what diseases or disorders you might have, your culture and economic environment, and a host of other factors. These simplistic "just count calories" statements are misguided at best.

Sorry for the rant.

AlabasterVerve

It's a shame they're still on the saturated fat is bad kick. What makes it even worse is they promote industrial seed oils (which contain trans fats) over nutritious whole foods just because they contain saturated fat -- it ruins the whole article and Harvard's credibility, IMO. Eggs, red meat, and full fat dairy are all healthful and delicious.

sjaplo

It's a shame they're still on the saturated fat is bad kick. What makes it even worse is they promote industrial seed oils (which contain trans fats) over nutritious whole foods just because they contain saturated fat -- it ruins the whole article and Harvard's credibility, IMO. Eggs, red meat, and full fat dairy are all healthful and delicious.

This struck me as well. While suggesting people eat "less" of these items, the author didn't actually define what "less" meant and compared to what amount.

On a personal note - if I read the phrase ".....and the like." one more time I was going to scream. I think the author used it three times in one paragraph for gosh sake!