Eating Fat Makes You Fat
Myth: Eating fat makes you fat
Let’s dissect the myth that eating fat makes you fat. Overeating makes you fat. Fat does not make you fat. It doesn’t matter what the food is, overeating causes us to gain weight. I think it goes back to us wanting to blame something for our weight gain as it can be difficult to acknowledge that weight we see is on us, literally.
Most weight loss myths are trying to lead us to spending money, or purchasing a product, not actually fixing the issue. Yes there is a healthy amount of fat to consume and conversely an unhealthy amount to consume. The zero fat products or low fat products can have less fat at the expense of being terrible for you and your overall health. At times low fat can mean high in sugar. Low fat can mean it has trans fats, which are chemically altered to change its consistency and add to its shelf life. They can also add refined carbohydrates. Those are carbohydrates that have had their nutrients removed. Food manufacturers add “other ingredients” to make the low fat food taste good and it is those extra ingredients that can do more harm than good.
There are good fats and bad fats. You have to be living under a rock to not know that. I think it’s helpful to acknowledge the fact that there are fats that are good for us and necessary to for us to consume. It’s important to acknowledge the difference.
There are fats that have been altered in some way leaving their natural form behind. I assume they can become unrecognizable to our bodies.
Let’s remember we need the fat in fish, avocados, walnuts (nuts), seeds, dark chocolate, eggs, etc. They can reduce inflammation, improve heart health, improve brain function, and protect against chronic disease.
The main fats that are not good for us are saturated fats and trans fats. Trans fats are chemically altered with hydrogen. Saturated fats are in meat, cheese, cream cheese, and more. I’d say saturated fats are a necessary evil and just need to be looked at, not cut out. It sounds like 13 grams is enough? Do your own research to decide this, I don’t know everything. I am no doctor.
Something we also need to look at are the oils being used in our food. Mainly anything that’s labeled partially hydrogenated. It just means that hydrogen has been added to make the fat more of a solid. It seems like anything labeled, partially hydrogenated is not good for you and should be avoided. It’s tricky because the food industry doesn’t want us to think there is anything wrong with chemically altered foods. It seems we don’t really know…but we do. Europe has very strict rules on canola oil because it can have high amounts of erucic acid. The US doesn't regulate this as far as I know.
If you’re a fan of tropical forests you may cut back on your consumption of palm oil. Palm oil contributes to deforestation in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Palm oil plants have increased a lot in the past 50 years, knocking out habitats that cause among other things a risk of extinction of certain animals. Palm oil is used in more than just food; it's also used in beauty products and detergents. Please check your labels.
There isn’t a ton of easy and conclusive information to find in regard to the effect of genetically modified soybeans on our bodies, yet soybean oil is used in so many things. My guess is it’s not great.
The point is, fat does not make you fat, overeating makes you overweight.
It says a lot that the leading cause of death is heart disease. Eating too much saturated fat, eating too much trans fat and sugar are some main contributors. This isn't the most uplifting information but hopefully it helps you think about things the next time you’re shopping.