Is "low fat" all it's cracked up to be?

http://www.dietdoctor.com/the-death-of-the-low-fat-diet

The Death of the Low-Fat Diet

It’s February 25, 2013, and the low-fat diet is dead.

The low-fat diet has been on life support since 2006, when the failure of the WHI-trial was published. A low-fat diet did not succeed in preventing heart disease. Instead people with pre-existing heart disease had a 30 percent increase in risk of heart disease!

Now it’s game over. Today the result of another large trial is published i NEJM. About 7,500 people were randomized to either get advice on a low fat diet or a Mediterranean diet with more fat, specifically olive oil or nuts. After almost five years the trial was stopped in advance. The result was clear. The group getting the low-fat diet advice got significantly more heart disease, again.

An earlier report from the same trial looked at the risk of diabetes. People exposed to low-fat diet had a much higher risk of getting diabetes. And study after study show that people have a harder time losing weight on a low-fat diet. So it’s more obesity, more diabetes and more heart disease on low-fat.

R.I.P. low-fat diet. Welcome back, fat.

Replies

  • espree70
    espree70 Posts: 41 Member
    great to see some supporting information to this...thanks Alice
  • JudeGilford
    JudeGilford Posts: 66 Member
    Agreed. Totally appreciate that. Could never get used to the low-fat versions... especially cheese, so I just ate less.
  • DMW914
    DMW914 Posts: 368 Member
    Good insight. I could never stick to a low-fat plan either. It tasteless. Bad enough I got to watch the salt as it is, lol!
  • tatianna68
    tatianna68 Posts: 90 Member
    Balance is the key, got to have that for anything to work long term. Thanks for posting Alice :smile:
  • Where did we get the idea that swapping white flour and sugar for fat would be "good" for us, anyway? I'm so glad, since eating protein, fiber, and fat keeps me full and makes me happy. :drinker:
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    YAY! So I will continue on with my cocoa-roasted almonds!
  • abfit4life
    abfit4life Posts: 220 Member
    Thanks for sharing. R.I.P. low fat. I find sticking to REAL, NATURAL foods, as close to its original form as possible, works best for me, everything else is just a marketing gimmick.
  • indrani1947
    indrani1947 Posts: 178 Member
    well said low fat foods tend to be loaded with sugars and other unhealthy items, a good balance of whole foods as long as it is within your limit
  • j_masher
    j_masher Posts: 18 Member
    I just cannot stand the taste of them. I have eaten regular all my life and it was not the fats in food that got me heavy.
  • squindles
    squindles Posts: 350 Member
    Where did we get the idea that swapping white flour and sugar for fat would be "good" for us, anyway? I'm so glad, since eating protein, fiber, and fat keeps me full and makes me happy. :drinker:
    ^^^^THIS^^^^
    Thanks for posting Alice :bigsmile: