Ever notice how, despite the amount of low-fat and no-fat foods available in the supermarket, obesity rates continue to climb? Why would that be?
Fat adds flavor, so if you take out fat, you have to add something else to get the same or comparable taste, and that “something else” is usually sugar.
The fat-free craze began in the 90s, after the U.S. Surgeon General recommended that Americans decrease their fat intake. The rationale was simple: If you eat less fat, you will lose weight. And so the race was on for food manufacturers to make fat-free versions of everything from fettucine alfredo to chocolate cake.
The Science of Fat
When you replace fat with simple carbohydrates such as sugar, these carbs are broken down into glucose, which is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. In non-diabetics, the body produces insulin to counteract the rise in blood sugar. But for diabetics, foods high in sugar can cause blood sugar spikes if insulin is not readily available.
Nearly all our cells use glucose for energy, but our body only needs a small amount of what we eat to produce energy. If our energy needs have been met and there is extra glucose leftover, insulin converts part of the glucose to glycogen, which maintains our blood sugar levels for a few hours after we eat. The other part of it is stored as fat. So the more sugar you eat, the more it is converted to fat.
That’s why so many low-fat diets fail. Fat is replaced by sugar, and you unwittingly gain weight instead of lose it.
Pitfalls of a Low-fat Diet
If you follow a low-fat diet, then you are missing out on the benefits of good fat such as unsaturated fat. This type of fat actually helps decrease bad LDL cholesterol and increase good HDL cholesterol. Cooking oils such as olive oil and canola oil contain unsaturated fats, as do nuts, peanut butter, avocado and flaxseed. Omega-3 fatty acids are another type of healthy fat, as they can help decrease cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides. Fish such as salmon and tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
In addition, good fat is filling and helps to satisfy your appetite so that you don’t eat too much or too often. Without it in your diet, you are likely to find yourself hungry more often, which can lead to bingeing and overeating.
Those who engage in low-fat diets are also more likely to fill up on highly processed foods full of simple carbohydrates that spike your blood sugar.
Low-fat diets also decrease the supply of hormones that maintain your muscles. This results in the loss of lean muscle that helps you burn calories and rev up your metabolism.
As you can see, following a low-fat diet is not such a good idea after all. Instead, you should eat a diet that is balanced with healthy fats, lean protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber.
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