Introduction:
If you have been trying one low fat diet after another only to revert back to your old ways and regain the pounds, maybe you have been sold the idea that fat is the “baddie.” Well in this article, lets look closer at this complicated topic and get some clarity.
There are so many low fat diets out there that you lose count of them. The companies that provide and advocate low fat diets base their theory on the fact that fat is so calorie dense and provides more than twice the energy that protein and carbohydrates do. So by targeting low fat diets they try to reduce the over all calorie intake to shed the unwanted pounds. But what is the truth about fat?
Fat is Essential For Good Health!
Fat is not just a more concentrated source of energy compared with the other two macronutrients stated above, but it is also an important source of essential macro and micronutrients. Some essential fats include essential fatty acids; linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. While micronutrient that are only bioavailable through fat includes fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Both the micronutrients and the macronutrients above play a vital role in cardiovascular health and metabolism. So not only is fat good for your health, it also plays an important role in weight loss! According to a study by C. D. Gardener et al (JAMA 2007) it has been proven that the low carbohydrate/high fat diet results in more weight loss than a low fat diet.
Not All Fats Are Created Equal:
But are all fats created equally? This is where the science of cooking and eating become important in weight management. Data shows that unprocessed natural plant source fats and oils are very important for a balanced nutritional intake. So seeds, nuts and and oily vegetables like avocado and ackee provide excellent sources of essential fatty acids.
Fats from animal source foods are less healthy and it is now generally recommended to remove visible fat from meats, especially red meats. But fish oils and oily fish are recommended as a good source of omega 3 fatty acids that are apparently supportive of good cardiovascular and neurological health and general health and well being. Even from Biblical times the fat and blood of animals were forbidden in the diet in the health laws of Jews.
Restrictive Diets And How They Compare:
So high fat diets, such as modified Atkins, Low Carb Mediterranean, and paleo are some of the diets that do not restrict fat intake for weight control. The high fat low carb diets have been shown to be more sustainable in the long term compared with a low fat diet. This is due to the effect of glucose metabolism on our hormones and neurotransmitters that affect moods and feelings of well being and satiety. As carbs break down to glucose that the blood transports to our body cells to supply energy. The final product affect many organs to release enzymes and hormones that communicates the feeling of satiety or hunger as well as hormones that affect our moods.
Hormones Play An Important Role:
Some of these hormones include ghrelin that signals to the brain the feeling of hunger and leptin that tells the brain you are full and satisfied. The hunger trigger hormone is produced mainly in the stomach, and to a lesser extent by the small intestines, pancreas and the brain. Insulin levels in the blood also signal to the brain the need for food intake or otherwise. Eating carbohydrates increase insulin levels. And if the carbohydrate is not in a complex form this causes a rapid increase in blood glucose and corresponding increase in insulin levels.
The Science Speaks:
One study (NEJM 2008) compared three types of diet; a Mediterranean diet, a low fat diet and a low carb diet. The subjects followed the diet assigned to their group for 2 years and the results showed that the low fat group were restricted in their total calorie intake, to 1600 calories/day and lost on average 3.3kg while the low carb groups who were unrestricted in calories per day and lost on average 5.5kg. The Mediterranean group lost 4.6kg
Along with the evidence from these kinds of studies, is the need to move towards improving overall health, which usually result in weight loss as an added outcome. This is very important as high levels of stress, poor sleep and chronic dehydration all play an important role in your health status. Addressing underlying problems in life and lifestyle may yield much more benefit that targeting weight loss alone.
A Healthy Weight Requires A Healthy You:
It is good to pay attention to weight control, however a quick fix diet doesn’t address all the factors leading to the problem. Restricting certain foods is only one tiny factor in our complicated lives and more and more weight management groups and companies are focusing on going deeper to assess imbalances and even old traumatic events in life that were not dealt with and may be impacting a persons sense of self worth and coping mechanism.
A Fat Restricted Diet Has Many Drawbacks;
1. You may end up missing out on essential nutrients by going low fat and this results in imbalance and nutrient deficiencies.
2. You are less likely to feel satisfied with low fat meals and more likely to have cravings from the vicious cycle of fueling carb cravings that lead to more carb cravings. As it is fats and protien that gives the most feeling of fullness and satrisfaction from eating.
Low fat diets are less effective for sustainable weight loss than low carb diets as shown in the studies sited above.
3. The body requires fat to make up all of our boby cells. Everyone of our body cells require fat in order to have healthy cell walls.
4. And while fat is more concentrated it also last longer as a source of energy and therefore staves off hunger pangs for longer.
5. Many hormones and enzyme necessary for metabolism and normal bodily functions are made of the fats we eat each day. For example low fat diets over time may lead to low production of bile, with the complications that may result. Such as Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), gall stones, and the list goes on…
In Summary:
A whole-person health approach is better than restricting fats or any particular food group from the diet. Your whole lifestyle and health and well being have to be addressed for real and lasting weight loss and health maintenance.
Fat is not the baddie that it has been made out to be, but taking control of your weight requires holistic self assessment/or health assessment (whether it is undertaken by yourself or by a health professional) and then making educated changes based on what you find out may be causing the imbalance that results in weight gain/fluctuation.
Any questions or comments?
Please feel free to comment or ask a question if you are thinking of the effects of fat intake on weight management. If you are living a low carb lifestyle and find it satisfying or otherwise, please get in touch and join the discussion by using the comments section below.