The Opposite Effect

IS LOW FAT MAKING YOU FAT?

Eat less and move more is the widely preached formula for weight-loss. This myth of counting calories to lose weight has been with us for decades. However, eating less does not always ensure weight-loss. Fat has been labelled everyone’s worst

enemy and is often avoided because of its association with fat gain. With this misconception at the forefront of their minds, many people favoured low-fat and reduced fat products over the original versions. In truth, fat is in fact an essential part of our diet and something people cannot live without. It is required for efficient bodily functions and the prevention of disease.

The misconception that all calories are equal is not accurate; calories from different sources have diverse effects on the body, with calories from carbohydrates more likely to encourage weight gain.

Fat has been labelled everyone’s worst enemy and is often avoided because of its association with fat gain. With this misconception at the forefront of their minds, many people favoured low-fat and reduced fat products over the original versions. In truth, fat is in fact an essential part of our diet and something people cannot live without. It is required for efficient bodily functions and the prevention of disease.

THE LOW DOWN ON LOW FAT

Low-fat refers to food options that have had fats removed and replaced with other additives to ensure preservation, consistency and taste. Ninety per cent of the time the addition is sugar and, as a result, all low-fat foods are higher in sugars than their full-

fat alternatives.

WEIGHTY PROBLEMS

Health professionals have always warned the public on the dangers of fat and especially saturated fat. They strongly advised us to steer clear from high fat foods due to the increased risks of cardiovascular diseases and their effect on low-density lipoprotein “bad cholesterol” levels. This theory all started with Dr Ancel Key’s famous Seven Countries Study from the 1940s, where he examined heart disease risks based on different lifestyles and dietary habits. Through his analysis, he concluded that countries consuming more dietary fat, especially saturated fats, had higher risks of heart diseases. However, correlation is not causation; many different factors, including those not associated with fat intake, could have been the reason for the increased incidences of heart disease. His pioneering and important theory is now outdated as Professor David Lawrence, an expert in nutrition and obesity data analysis explained last year in the journal, BMC Medicine. He corrects that the public must now disregard the association of “dietary fat” with “fat gain”. Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist and co-author of an obesity report for the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, conducted research to show that consuming a high carb diet more greatly increased probability of weight gain and disease risks in comparison to a high fat diet.

THE INSULIN IMPACT

Dr. Malhotra theorizes that these findings were due to a high carbohydrate diet’s impact on the body’s insulin levels and additional recent studies are supporting his hypothesis. Insulin is a hormone released upon food consumption to lower blood sugar levels triggered by foods high in carbohydrates and sugars. When carbohydrates are consumed, they are converted to sugar in the body, thus increasing blood sugar levels and stimulating the secretion of insulin. The more carbohydrates consumed, the higher the insulin levels, which promote fat storage, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Alternatively, fat consumption does not impact upon blood sugar levels, nor stimulate the secretion of insulin.

A NEW YEAR APPROACH

Health professionals are slowly shifting their concerns from fat consumption to carbohydrates and, in particular, insulin levels. Low-fat food options are always higher in sugar; thus increase insulin secretion and fat storage. Therefore, consuming them

can largely defeat the purpose of going for the low-fat product. Moderation is key, too much of anything will make you unwell. Follow a balanced diet and try to avoid low-fat, skim,

lite and reduced products over their original alternatives. Consume adequate amounts of “good” fats such as nuts, seeds, olives, avocados and dairy products.

Now that the festive season has passed it’s time to cut down on sugary cakes, cookies, and other desserts. This New Year it is also wise to work towards limiting your consumption of

processed wheat and flour and stop adding any extra sugar, the results should bring you sweet success!