Fat in Food Gets a Bad Wrap

Too often markets feed into our perception rather than fact.  The food industry is no different and a glaring example of this is the fact that many obviously unhealthy food choices put the labels ‘fat free’ on the front of their packages.  Feeding into the thought that fat is the culprit for weight gain and obesity when in fact that is not the case.

The truth is it takes a combination of factors and we give fat too much credit for causing all of our problems regarding weight.  Fat actually has a buddy that helps facilitate that process in simple carbohydrates.  The two together in large doses are a recipe for weight gain.  It isn’t the nuts, or olive oils, or fatty fish that are the culprit.  It is the French fries, ice creams, and candy bars that are the culprits.  But it is also the foods that are very high in sugar that appear to be low or fat free.  Even though these foods are fat free or low in fat, the amount of sugar that is in these products cause the body to react in such a way that the body retains body fat and stores more fat.  Foods that are high in sugar look good but understand that the high sugar content might as well spell fat gain for you.

The best options?  You’ve heard them before, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats.  As a general rule choose as many foods as you can that do not require food labels.  That is most of your lean meats, fruits and veggies.  The more that don’t require labels, the better chance the food companies did not tamper with it.  It also means that you are getting a high quality product rather than a refined less nutritious product.

Don’t buy into the belief that fat free means healthy.  Most foods that claim they are fat free are supposed to have fat in them (think mayonnaise and peanut butter) and are actually healthier in their full fat state.  Other foods that claim they are fat free are not healthy options as there are almost always other components to the food that make it unhealthy.

The take away message?  Don’t buy into what a food says on the front of the package.  If you must buy foods with labels, check the label first completely then make the best choice you can.