Fat Doesn't Make You Fat: The Great Nutrition U-Turn
For 40 years, we were told that fat was the enemy. Low-fat diets were gospel. Fat-free products lined supermarket shelves. And yet, obesity and diabetes rates skyrocketed. What went wrong?
At Better Health Beat, we're here to set the record straight. Fat isn't the villain—sugar is. Here's why.
The Low-Fat Lie
In the 1970s, flawed research suggested that dietary fat caused heart disease. Governments created food pyramids recommending 6-11 servings of grains per day. When fat was removed from products, it was replaced with sugar. The result? A metabolic disaster.
The Truth About Fat
Fat is essential. Your brain is 60% fat. Your hormones are made from cholesterol (a type of fat). Fat doesn't spike blood sugar or insulin. In fact, eating fat with carbohydrates slows the sugar absorption, preventing crashes.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
- The Good: Saturated fats (butter, coconut oil), Monounsaturated fats (olive oil, avocados), Omega-3s (fatty fish).
- The Bad: Excess Omega-6 (vegetable oils like soybean, corn oil).
- The Ugly: Trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils)—avoid at all costs.
Editorial Summary
The myth: Eating fat makes you fat and causes heart disease.
The reality: Sugar and refined carbs drive obesity and metabolic disease.
The action: Embrace healthy fats and ditch the low-fat products.