Fat Free & Low Fat Diets

Dietary fat has a bad reputation as a contributor to obesity and major illnesses, such as heart disease. Fat-free diets and low-fat diets, though promoted as beneficial to health since the 1980s, have failed to stem the escalating epidemics of heart disease, diabetes and obesity in the United States. The results of an eight-year study by the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) concluded that reducing dietary fat and increasing vegetables, fruits and grains had an insignificant impact on reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke or cardiovascular disease.

Fat-Free Foods

• Fat-free foods must contain less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. Fat gives food its appealing texture and flavor. Among the ingredients added to replace animal fats in fat-free or low-fat foods are vegetable fats and sugar. Other added ingredients you may find in fat-free or low-fat foods include flour and salt. When eating these food products, do not assume they are low in calories. The calorie savings is usually minimal when compared with the higher fat version of the same product.

Low-Fat Foods

• Each serving of a low-fat food must contain three grams of fat or less. Low fat foods aid in weight reduction because they contain fewer calories than foods with a higher fat content. If you are overweight, losing excess pounds reduces your health risks. It does not matter if you use a fat-free diet, a low-fat diet or any other diet -- the reduction in weight produces the beneficial results. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests replacing high fat dairy foods in your diet with foods such as reduced fat or skim milk and reduced-calorie, low-fat or fat-free cheeses. You can also replace cereals with bran flakes, oatmeal or reduced-fat granola, and high-fat meats with ground turkey, lean ham, pork tenderloin, white meat chicken or fish.

A Fat-Healthy Diet

• The amount of fat in your diet is not what affects your weight and health. The type of fat you consume makes you susceptible to disease or provides protection against it. Eliminate trans fats from your diet. These are found in French fries, doughnuts, baked goods, margarine and partially hydrogenated oils. Saturated fats raise levels of cholesterol. Foods containing saturated fats and cholesterol include fatty animal products, such as beef lamb, pork, and poultry with skin left on. Keep saturated fats to a minimum and choose instead monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which provide health benefits for your heart and the rest of your body. Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. Foods to incorporate into your diet that contain polyunsaturated fats include fatty fish such as salmon and trout as well as nuts, seeds, soybean oil, safflower oil and corn oil.

The Importance of Fat

• Fat aids in the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, and E, which are vital antioxidants, vitamin D, which promotes calcium absorption, and vitamin K, an important factor in blood clotting. Fat is essential for brain growth and development. Fatty acids from fat help build brain cells. According to The Franklin Institute, fats make up two-thirds of your brain. The production of hormones needed to regulate bodily functions requires fat. This vital macronutrient aids digestion, regulates body temperature, protects internal organs and regulates energy levels. Fat-free diets disrupt these processes.