FAT PHOBIA Myth Avoid fat if you want to lose weight Fact Successful dieters get 30 per cent of their daily calories from fat Studies show that the tiny ten per cent of people who lose weight and keep it off eat moderate amounts of fat. When dieters avoid fat, they are hungry all the time. ‘Fat is highly satiating, ‘People who avoid it are invariably never satisfied by meals. Dieters’ obsession with low-fat products merely fuels a craving for fatty foods, and that’s why they end up bingeing on cakes, biscuits and ice cream – all sources of the fat their bodies need,’ Low-fat food is pointless for people wanting to lose weight because when real fat is removed, something needs to be added to retain taste and texture – ‘usually sugar and flour, which provide calories but are nutritionally poor’. Fat also provides essential fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, we are now deficient in many of these thanks to the low-fat message – especially vitamin D, the lack of which is one of the reasons behind the re-emergence of rickets. What you should do Choose full-fat yoghurt (especially which is higher in protein so keeps you satisfied for longer) and add a pat of butter to steamed vegetables. Make sure you eat plenty of good fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids (there is some evidence that these help the body burn fat) found in oily fish, coconut oil, walnuts and flax seeds – try them crushed on your morning cereal.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 21:37:46 +0000
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