Weight Loss & Low Fat Diet

The American Dietetic Association says that a low-fat diet helps people reach and maintain weight loss goals and improve health. Weight loss and a low-fat diet along with exercise help people reduce their risks of developing heart conditions, stroke, some cancers, high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes. When people decrease the amount of fat consumed, they replace fats with nutritious, filling foods. The American Dietetic Association says that although weight loss and low-fat diets go hand in hand, people still need to consume healthy fats.

Low-Fat Diets and Weight Loss Programs

• The Vanderbilt University Psychology Department states that weight loss programs like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Pritikin and Ornish are low-fat diets. These diets help people lose unwanted pounds by restricting the amount of fat consumed. Fruits and vegetables take the place of fatty foods because of their nutritional value. People follow personalized menus, outlining what foods to eat and discouraging cheating. Clients choose from a food list to make sure they get their daily nutrition. Dieters learn to choose healthy foods and construct their own daily meal plans.

How Low-Fat Diets Help With Weight Loss

• Weight loss and low-fat diets work together to reduce pounds as lower-fat foods contain less calories than more fatty foods. Vanderbilt University has found that because low-fat foods are less dense, people can eat more of them and feel full faster. This helps dieters to lose weight and maintain healthy weights. For weight loss, people should consume less than 30 percent of their calories from fat.

Low-Fat Diets and Obesity-Related Health Conditions

• People undertake low-fat diets to lose weight and cut down their risks of developing obesity-related condition like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol. These conditions occur because of excess fat storage in the body. The foods eaten on a low-fat diet, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, contain vitamins, minerals and fiber that fight conditions related to obesity.

Low Fat Doesn't Mean No Fat

• Although low-fat diets promote weight loss, people still need healthy fats for the body to function properly. McKinley Health Center states that fat helps the body grow and develop, serves as an energy source, absorbs vitamins, cushions organs and maintains cell membranes. Replace saturated fats and trans fat with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Foods containing good fats include salmon and other fatty fish, trout, herring, tuna, mackerel, nuts, seeds and avocados.

Exercise

• Exercise plays an important role in assisting weight loss on a low-fat diet. Exercise burns fat and excess calories when combined with a low-fat diet. Obese and sedentary people can start with simple activities like 30 minutes of physical activity a day, such as walking and low-impact aerobics.