Why Fat is making a Comeback

For years we have been told to stay away from fat, essentially naming it our dietary enemy.  But everything we’ve been told could be wrong.  A new report by the federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee says that limiting our total fat intake is NOT better for our health.  Yes, you heard that right.  Apparently, what we thought about fat has been wrong all along. Fat isn’t bad for us, and fat isn’t making us fat. 

In the past, government organizations have told the nation that only 20-35% of daily calories should come from fat.  This new report is overturning that recommendation and saying that people should "put the emphasis on optimizing types of dietary fat and not reducing total fat."  So it is the type of fat that matters, not the amount of fat you consume. 

The Dietary Guidelines Committee does recommend that saturated fats are replaced with unsaturated fats, and also that trans fats are avoided overall. 

This is because both saturated and trans fats are linked to heart disease and weight gain.  Trans fat was actually found to be so bad for us that the FDA has put a ban on its use for food manufacturers, who will have to stop using it within three years.  Saturated fat is found in foods like cheese, beef, whole milk, and butter.  Trans fats on the other hand are typically found in processed foods, fried foods, and junk food.

So the scientific evidence points to saturated or trans fats as health risk drivers, rather than total fat consumed.  So eating good fats, like those found in vegetable oils, fatty fish like salmon, or avocados is considered healthy.  Committee officials state that there is no need to limit the amount of these good polyunsaturated fats.  Monosaturated fats, like those in olive oil, were also deemed healthy and good for the heart. 

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recommendations will be used by the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture to update the countries dietary guidelines, something that only happens every 5 years.  These guidelines affect change in the way Americans eat, what they buy, and what view as having nutritional value.

The hope is that changing nutritional policy will help Americans focus on the quality of food and fat they are eating rather than the amount of fat being consumed.  This recommendation could really change the way we view fat and its incorporation in our diets.  The war against fat has been raging since the 80’s, so de-villainizing it will definitely be a shock to the system and everything we have ever thought about our eating habits. 

At the time that all fat was deemed bad for the American public, policy makers were trying to lower saturated fat (the unhealthy kind) by lowering ALL fat.  As a result, consumption of sugar and carbs went up – as well as the incidence of obesity and diabetes in the country.  These new guidelines if put into effect, may help Americans make smarter more health conscious food decisions moving forward.