Dieting has become an urgent problem of nowadays for many people. Obesity, high cholesterol level, killing heart diseases, and diabetes are haunting people making them look for a way to prevent or cure them. Dieting is often a solution they seek. For more than thirty years a low-fat diet has been considered a panacea. But is it really as efficient as it is said?
The idea of limiting the amount of fat intake to avoid cholesterol level increase and resultant heart diseases was first introduced as early as in the mid-1979s by Marshal Matz and Alan Stone, members of Senator McGovern’s Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs (Taubes 2538). At the moment they had no proofs the diet would work and they would get the wanted results. However, they were convinced that the low-fat diet was unlikely to have any adverse side effects because restriction in fats consumption was sure to lead to weight loss and, thus, to overall health improvement. So, they decided to take a risk. Since the idea was first introduced, there have been several initiatives targeting at proving the theory and providing it with scientific and empirical grounds. But even though scientists have tried hard, they have failed to show the correlation between the fat intake and heart diseases, fat intake and obesity, fat intake and cholesterol level increase.
Since that time the issue of a low-fat diet has been the key one in U.S. dietology. It has been claimed that dietary fats lead to an increase in cholesterol level which clogs arteries causing atherosclerosis. The American Heart Assoiation, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office, and the National Institute of Health used to advise Americans to restrict their daily fat intake as it was the only “most unwholesome component of the American diet” (Taubes 2536). These respectable institutions made efforts to prove that idea by conducting experiments, making calculations and looking for cause-effect relationships. They failed and eventually gave up because there was no reliable evidence their hypothesis worked. It is still very doubtful if restrictions in fat intake can lower cholesterol level and, consequently, help people avoid atherosclerosis along with heart failure.
However, all this propaganda of low-fat diet has had its effect. The fat consumption by Americans has declined from 40 % to 34 %. It even resulted in the decline in overall cholesterol level. But there are no facts that the overall health of Americans has improved. The fact that the theory does not work is that there are still a shocking number of Americans suffering atherosclerosis and dying from heart attacks. The recent statistical data show that Americans are still afflicted with those serious diseases they were promised to forget if they followed the low-fat diet recommendations. There is evidence that 37 % of American population suffer from cardiovalcular diseases, 34 % - from hypertension, and 27 % - from diabetes. Researchers also say that “one out of every two women and one in four men ages 50 years and older will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime while almost one in two men and women—approximately 41 percent of the population—will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime” (Dietary Guidelines for Americans 3). The obesity rates have increased, too. There are 10 % of children and 34 % of adults suffering from it now (Dietary Guidelines for Americans 10) compared to 5 % (children) and 15 % (adults) of the 1970s. These facts indicate that the tendency to lower the amount of fats in the diet has not led to positive results. There are still many people suffering from the same diseases.
At the same time the efforts of low-fat diet proponents to promote the idea among common Americans have been quite successful. Many people now believe that fat is the root of all evil. High-fat diets are associated with increased risk of several serious medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Many people are sure that “low-fat” or “non-fat” foods are healthy products that can help them lose weight. They have no doubts that the more fat they eat, the more weight and body fat they gain.
All these false assumptions have affected the consumer market, of course. The general obsession with a “healthy” low-fat diet made consumers search for fat-free or low-fat products. And it is obvious that the demand resulted in supply. About 15,000 new low-fat and fat-free products have become available. Nowadays we can see supermarket shelves filled with baked potato chips, fat-free ice cream, low-fat candies, cookies, and cakes (Smith et al.). These products are literally foisted on people through advertising and dietary books recommendations. The food industry spends billions of dollars making consumers believe their low-fat products are what they undoubtedly need. And people buy these products because for years dieticians from TV and health magazines have been talking about the positive effect of low-fat and fat-free food consumption.
However, the situation with fats and their impact on cholesterol level is, in fact, contrary to the common knowledge. It should be mentioned that cholesterol actually is not something that people should be afraid of. They should not be obsessed with getting rid of all cholesterol in their body. Cholesterol is a fatty, wax-like substance that is necessary for your body to function as it should. Thus, cholesterol is not bad at all, even necessary sometimes. However, when we have it in excess, it can be a problem for our health. Cholesterol can be increased through two sources. First, it can be produced by our body. And second, it can come to our body with food that we consume. Our body (especially, the liver) makes some of the cholesterol we need naturally. But you also receive cholesterol directly from any animal products that we consume, for example, eggs, meat, and dairy (Smith et al.). Thus, we must take into mind that our body already produces a certain amount of necessary cholesterol; so if we do not want to exceed the allowed norm, we must control its inflow from outside. And if we do increase its level with the food we eat, let it be HDL (“good”) cholesterol, not LDC (“bad”) one. Then we supply our body with the substance that will normalize the body functioning.
As far as fats are concerned, there is evidence of a positive impact that fat intake can have on the way our body works. In fact, fat consumption is essential as certain fats take an active part in metabolism and affect the structuring abilities of your body. Fats are also an important source of energy which can add to our general vitality. Besides, they help your body take in necessary nutrients and vitamins without which you will not show the best performance in your professional or everyday life. Fats supply us with the essential fatty acids that your body cannot produce (“Dietary Fats, Dietary Cholesterol and Heart Health”). Some healthy fats that you eat can assist your body in burning unhealthy ones as well as in digesting carbohydrates properly. It means the low-fat diet can lead to overweight and obesity. That may be the reason why the obesity rates have increased even though many Americans have been trying hard to stick to doctors’ recommendations and follow the low-fat diet.
In addition to the abovementioned, low-fat diet can be also very ruinous to men’s health because it lowers testosterone levels. Moreover, nowadays dieticians and physicians say that insufficient consumption of fatty acids can trigger colon, breast, or prostate cancers. It has been proved that consumption of omega-3 acids in sufficient amount can slow the development of prostate tumor and cancer cell, too. So, if you do not eat enough healthy fats, you may subject yourself to a cancer risk. In your fight with heart disease or cholesterol level, low-fat diets can also play a low-down trick on you as the deficiency in certain fats may lead to an increase in cholesterol level rather than a decrease in it. At the same time some of fats can be helpful enough in lowering the level of cholesterol in your blood.
The problem with fat-free products is aggravated by the fact that they are taste-free (“Low-Fat Diet: Why Fat-Free Isn’t Trouble-Free”). When fat is taken out of a product, something has to substitute for it in order to add to the taste, provide the product with the flavor and texture lost. The most common substitutes are carbohydrates from sugar, refined grains or starch (“Fats and Cholestrol”). These unnecessary ingredients only add calories and therefore are unlikely to help weight loss. Vise versa, they are sure to increase weight. They raise blood sugar and insulin levels which results in hunger. Consequently, people start eating again and overeat.
Low-fat diet can lead you to overeating for another reason as well. It is obvious that low-fat and non-fat foods are often less appealing than full-fat foods. They are tasteless and therefore less satisfying; so people often tend to eat more to please themselves at least with the amount, if not with the quality, of products consumed. It becomes a psychological problem. People subconsciously feel that they lack something and cannot resist the temptation of eating more and more. They calm themselves down that the products that they eat are fat-free and therefore harmless. But they forget that their body does not need the amount, it needs the necessary elements that will help it to work properly.
So, if we take into consideration everything listed above, we may be puzzled by a question whether we should eat or avoid fats. The answer is we should differentiate fats. In other words, you must think more about the type of fat you consume than about the amount of it.
There are different types of fats, actually. They can be classified into monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated, and trans fats. Statistics say (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010) that most Americans consume too much of saturated and trans fats which are harmful. Saturated and trans fats are the ones we must avoid eating or at least limit. They are found in full fat milk and cheese, prepared potatoes, pastries, bread, and butter (“Dietary Fats, Dietary Cholesterol and Heart Health” 4). Even some products of plant origin can include saturated fats, e.g. palm and coconut oil.
Trans fats, which are actually as harmful as saturated fats, can be either natural or synthetic. In small amounts naturally occurring trans fats can be found in dairy products, lamb, mutton, beef, and veal. Synthetic trans fats are found in deep-fried and baked products which include hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in its production (“Dietary Fats, Dietary Cholesterol and Heart Health” 5).
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are “good” fats (“Low-Fat Diet: Why Fat-Free Isn’t Trouble-Free”) which are recommended to consume. They can be found in different products. For instance, monounsaturated fats are found in canola, sunflower, peanut, soybean, and olive oils while fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, and nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, peanuts, brazil and pine nuts can provide you with necessary polyunsaturated fats. Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help you lower the level of your LDC (bad) cholesterol and increase the amount of HDL (good) cholesterol.
Healthy fats are also said to improve our mood, make us more mentally active, fight fatigue, and even control our weight (Smith et al.). In this respect, one type of polyunsaturated fats deserves special attention. This is omega-3 fatty acids which are represented by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). These acids have proved to be extremely beneficial in preventing and reducing the symptoms of depression; improving memory; decreasing the risk of cancer, heart failure, and stroke; easing arthritis, joint pains, and inflammatory skin conditions as well as supporting healthy pregnancy (Smith et al.). Omega-3 fats are said to be concentrated in our brain and be responsible for mental health and mood. These fats can also cure attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder.
Thus, the importance of omega-3 acids is undoubted and we must make sure we have enough of these fatty acids in our body. However, the information given above shows that the greatest amount of them can be found in fish products (shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish). So, in case people are not able to consume these products, they must substitute for the lack of these acids with some medications – vitamins or something. Vegetarians can try eating marine algae, fish oil, or algae supplements.
So, all these facts given above prove the importance of fats for our body proper functioning. Therefore, people should be very attentive to what they consume and perhaps even more attentive to what they do not. The absence of certain elements in the body can trigger some malfunctions that in their turn can result in more serious diseases. Thus, fats should not be avoided completely because some of them do us no harm but help us decrease the contents of unhealthy cholesterol in our blood. The point is you should differentiate fats, choose more healthy ones, and make sure you have enough fat intake a day. The low-fat diet which has been reigning for more than thirty years has not only proven to be ineffective in losing weight, but turned out to be harmful to a lot of people. There has been no evidence found to guarantee that low-fat consumption can lessen the risk of several serious injuries, even though society has long believed it can. In some cases, absence of necessary fat contents can instead raise and even aggravate the illnesses people are afflicted with.
On the contrary, the fats you consume, if they are healthy ones, can lead to an overall improvement of both your mental and physical state. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help you decrease “bad” cholesterol in your blood and increase the amount of “good” one. Omega-3 fats can make you improve your mood and mental activity as they control your brain work.
When it concerns your own body you should not only listen what all around you say but listen to your body as well. The body always “says” what is necessary for it. For instance, if it lacks omega-s acids, you may start feeling depressed, less mentally active, or sleepy. If it lacks some other polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, you can see it doing your cholesterol level tests. Certain control over what you eat and over the state of your body can let you achieve the necessary results.
So, the conclusion to be made is unhealthy fats should be avoided; however, limiting your consumption of saturated and trans fats you should compensate the absence of fats in your body by adding healthy fats in your diet. Then your body will not feel deprived of something essential but will function properly thanks to the elements that cooperate with the body instead of ruining it.
Works Cited
Smith, Melinda, Paul, Maya W., and Robinson, Lawrence. “Choosing Healthy Fats.” HELPGUIDE.ORG, Nov. 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
“Dietary Fats, Dietary Cholesterol and Heart Health.” Q & A. Heart Foundation, 2009: 1-12. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2010. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
“Fats and Cholestrol.” The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health, 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
“Low-Fat Diet: Why Fat-Free Isn’t Trouble-Free.” Weight Loss & Diet Plans. WebMD, 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
Taubes, Gary. “The Soft Science of Dietary Fat.” SCIENCE 291 (30 Mar. 2011): 2536-2545. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
