It's been drilled into us since forever
that full-fat foods will make us fat, clog
our arteries and pretty much dig our
graves. So the latest nutrition research
from the National Obesity Forum,
warning that low-fat diets have
"disastrous health consequences",
comes as a bit of a shock.
"Flawed science from the 1950s
convinced people that fat was bad for
us, but it was never proven that
saturated fat caused heart disease,"
says leading dietitian Dr Trudi Deakin.
"The problem with low-fat foods is that
when food manufacturers strip out fat,
they replace it with sugar and starch,
which increases insulin. Too much
insulin increases our appetites and
makes it difficult to digest nutrients." So
that explains those days we can't stop
grazing.
"What's more, natural fat like the kind
you find in dairy products is extremely
nourishing, so eating it can actually
prevent weight gain and cut your risk of
heart disease in later life too," says Dr
Deakin. "And because your brain is 60%
fat, dietary fat can help it function
properly."
