The most avoided word in the vocabulary of most dieters is ‘fa’. It’s common to hear a dieter publicly declare their aversion to eating fat as if it was some dreaded, life-threatening allergen or malady.
In one way, this impassioned hatred of fat is positive. It reflects a typically understood medical truth that overindulging in fat-rich foods typically causes undesirable, and unhealthy, weight gain.
However, in another way, this fat-phobia is potentially dangerous, because awareness of fat isn’t enough; an understanding of how fat influences weight gain and overall health is required. Unfortunately, those that dread and keep away from all fat “as a rule” are overlooking an necessary difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fat.
Oftentimes, saturated fat is the true cause for those unnecessary, and possibly unhealthy, pounds that you’ve been piling on. These types of fat, that are solid at room temperature, initiate the production of LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol”. In addition to weight gain, as cholesterol increases, so does the danger of heart disease. In fact, saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol disproportionately more than dietary cholesterol itself; that is how dangerous it is to the human body [i]. Dreading and avoiding this kind of fat is due to this fact quite intelligent.
Some persons are more concerned about cosmetic weight gain however, and fewer about the potential of high cholesterol and heart disease. This is not a criticism; the adverse health effects of excess weight are well documented, as are the emotional traumas and social stigmas that tragically affect tens of millions of overweight people, particularly children [ii].
It is undeniable that too much intake of saturated fat results in weight gain. The fundamental cause for that is that one gram of fat really contains more than double the amount of calories as one gram of protein - 9 calories for fat against only 4 calories for protein [iii]. As a end result, dieters can eat more than twice as many protein grams as fat grams to achieve the same amount of caloric intake. For dieters who’re steadfastly watching every calorie, this 125% calorie difference between protein and fat can have an enormous impact.
Once they are created, fat cells can no longer be eliminated [1]; only choice left is to make them smaller by way of the metabolic calorie-burning process of the body [iv]. Since a person’s rate of metabolism is determined largely by genetics, a dieter with a slower than average metabolism will spend months, maybe even years or longer struggling to shrink fat cells then would his or her metabolically-gifted counterpart [v].
It is quite easy to understand, based on the above discussion, why the very thought of fat is dreaded by dieters; both because of the health hazards it poses, and its capability to create excess fat cells. And it is just as straightforward to know why many individuals are so afraid of consuming this type of fat that they strive to remove all fat from their diet. This is a monumental nutritional oversight however.
Fat is a macronutrient that the body requires for a variety of vital functions. It is a source of energy. It helps keep the body warm, it aids in the absorption of some vitamins, and helps regulate the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system [vi]. Hoewever, there seems to be a contradiction somewhere.
On one side you have the common weight and health hazards linked to fat, and but on the other side you also hear of the health advantages associated with it. How can this be? Differentiating between the two types of fat: saturated and unsaturated, will help you understand this enigma better. The form of fat related to health hazards is the former; the type that the body needs and uses effectively is the latter.
Going further, there are two sub-varieties of unsaturated fat: monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. Common sources of polyunsaturated fats are safflower oil and corn oil, while monounsaturated fat will also be found in foods such as peanut oil and olive oil. These unsaturated fats are responsible for providing the body with the most efficient and useful sources of fats that lead towards the health benefits mentioned above.
It has to be noted however that even though unsaturated fatshave been confirmed to be better for your health than saturated fat, both types nonetheless carry the same 9 calories. Because of this, overeating of fats ought to be avoided at all times.
Now that there’s widespread awareness and a deeper understanding that saturated fats aren’t good for health, and that there’s such a thing as “good” fat (unsaturated fat), you would have anticipated many nutritional dietary supplements available in the market to jump on the bandwagon and come up with products which reflect this profound understanding. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case.
Most nutritional supplements include some fat content; many even include saturated fats for some inexplicable reason [2]. Tragically - and there’s no other word - many dieters are deceived into eating self-described nutritionally intelligent foods that may be “low calorie”, and may even have some vitamins and nutrients, however they’re adding to the person’s restricted capacity to ingest fat grams. Many individuals who seek to lose weight by eating nutritional supplements usually gain weight. They mistakenly assume that it’s because of their slow metabolism, when actually it’s the quantity of fat grams that they ingested which should be blamed.
Luckily, there are some fat-free food supplements that are being offered in the market today. There are several essential benefits of this strategy that benefit dieters of all sizes.
One clear benefit is that you no longer have to engage in tedious fat calorie-counting when you take these nutritional supplements since they’re 100% fat-free, and does not add to your daily limit for fat intake.
Less obvious, however, is that a zero-fat nutritional supplement that contains protein can stimulate the digestive system and reduce fat storage. The reason for this is because protein regulates the body’s capability to effectively absorb the calories derived from fats and carbohydrates. For instance, a dieter who consumes a sugar-filled, and fat-filled cupcake can minimize fat storage and improve nutrient utilization at the same time, by consuming it along with a high-protein nutritional supplement.
The world of nutrition has long since recognized the link between dietary fat and weight gain. Unsaturated fat generally is a invaluable asset in the struggle against weight gain. Understanding the way it differs from saturated fat helps demystify the stigma of unsaturated fats - a stigma that should be reserved for its unhealthy cousin, saturated fats.
[1] Fat cells can be removed externally, through such methods as liposuction and stapling, but these so-called solutions carry their own brand of risks and consequences.
[2] Actually, the reason is usually because of taste.
REFERENCES
[i] Source: “Fat Dictionary”. Dietsite.com. http://www.dietsite.com/dt/diets/HeartHealthy/fatdictionary.aspSATURATED FATS:
[ii] Source: “The Surgeon General’s Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity”. US Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents.htm
[iii] Source: “Reducing Dietary Fat”. WebMD. http://my.webmd.com/content/article/46/2731_1679
[iv] Source: “Can Diabetics Benefit from the Removal of Fat?”. Washington University Physicians. http://wuphysicians.wustl.edu/newsArchive.asp?navID=1&category=home&ID=288
[v] Source: “Weight Loss Understanding Why Diet’s Don’t Work - and what DOES Work”. Healthynewage.com. http://www.healthynewage.com/losing-weight.htm
[vi] ibid.
