Why Many Fat Free Diets Do Not Work

Most people understand that it is wise to limit the amount of fat grams in their daily diet. The dietary reference intake amount for an adult ranges from 20% to 35%[i] of daily calories; or about 44 to 55 grams per day[1]. Since a single slice of pecan pie carries with it 27 grams of fat, and a mere tablespoon of thousand island salad dressing contains 8 grams of fat[ii], it is not surprising to see more and more people checking food labels and "passing over" an order of onion rings[2] as they try to lose, or maintain, inches and pounds.

However, the relentless avoidance of fat ? even of healthy unsaturated fat ? is creating a troubling scenario for many individuals. Instead of losing weight when they go "fat free", they are actually gaining weight.

Many people on the road to weight loss forget ? or simply do not know ? that the words "fat free" do not also mean "calorie free". As a result, many people ingest far too much "fat free" food, believing that it will not add weight, since, alas, it is dubbed "fat free". Yet it is the calories in these fat-free foods that cause the weight gain; not the fat grams themselves[iii].

A single gram of fat contain nine calories, which is more than double the amount of calories in a gram protein or carbohydrate. Therefore, mathematically speaking, an eater can consume twice as many protein or carbohydrate grams than fat grams, and achieve the same caloric intake. Since many high-fat foods contain an excessive amount of fat grams ? such as onion rings ? it has become a staple of dieting wisdom to reduce fat intake and avoid such oily, greasy foods[3].

Yet it bears repeating that the reason to avoid fat-rich foods is not because of the word "fat"; it is because each fat gram contains a scale-tipping 9 calories. In other words: the weight-conscious reason for avoiding excess fat grams is because it leads to a higher caloric intake.

Dieters who neglect to realize this basic nutritional fact ? that weight gain is about calories and not about fat grams themselves ? fail to realize, and often at their eventual dismay, how the body actually gains and loses weight.

The typical adult male American diet calls for 2000 calories per day because this is how many calories are collectively use and burned (i.e. converted into energy) by the body each day. As an example, an average male dieter who consumes 1800 calories a day will "save" 200 calories per day. As there are 3,500 calories in a pound, the dieter in this scenario will "save" 3,600 calories over the course of 18 days (18 x 200 calories). This translates into a loss of one pound. Similarly, if this dieter consumes an excess 200 calories per day, a pound of weight will be gained in 18 days.

A dieter who is not aware of this mathematical formula may indeed avoid fat altogether and consume, for example, 6 tablespoons of "fat free" caramel topping per day; believing that this is not a part of the weight gain equation, because it is labeled as "fat free". This is not false advertising, as fat free caramel topping contains no fat grams. However, fat free caramel topping delivers 103 calories per two tablespoon serving[iv].

If this dieter is adhering to a diet regimen of 44 fat grams per day -- and does not count calories -- then he will simply not know that in these 6 mere tablespoons are a substantial 309 calories; or 15% of the total daily caloric intake for a 2000 calorie/day diet.

In fact, a dieter could subsist entirely on "fat free" foods, and easily exceed their target daily caloric intake by their second meal of the day. These excess calories are obviously not deriving from fat grams; but they are coming from another source, most probably carbohydrates.

Again, the message here that many dieters do not receive from the advertising and marketing media is that fat grams in and of themselves do not necessarily "cause" weight gain. Rather, fat grams contribute to the total caloric intake, and they should be counted alongside carbohydrates and proteins.

Adding an unnecessary layer of complexity here is that many "healthy foods", such as energy bars, contain an excessive amount of calories. A chocolate chip Energy Bar?, for example, contains 230 calories; which is actually only 40 calories less than a Butterfinger? candy bar[v]. Unfortunately, because the Energy Bar contains 2 grams of fat and is therefore "low fat", some dieters eat several per day; and pack on 230 calories each time, despite the fact that virtually none of those calories come from fat. It does not matter; the dieter will still gain weight if his or her daily caloric intake threshold is surpassed. Dieters who expect yogurt-covered bars to be "healthier" are also misled; the yogurt-berry Balance BarÔ contains 200 calories per serving, despite the fact that only 25% of the calories come from its 6 grams of fat.

However, there are some responsible nutritional supplement products on the market that are engineered to be both low fat/fat-free and low-calorie. These foods are of benefit to dieters when they are losing weight, and also in the vulnerable period after the weight has been lost. Regrettably, many very well intentioned dieters who have made tremendous strides and sacrifices to lose weight regain it within the first few "post-diet" months. While a number of factors influence whether a dieter will regain weight, including environment and genetics, one major culprit is that dieters are not provided with low-fat, low-calorie, and palatable food sources once they have achieved their weight loss goals. They consequently return to previous eating habits, and the unwanted weight returns within weeks.

However, as mentioned, there are intelligent nutritional supplements on the market that do fill this void, and ethically serve dieters ? and post-dieters ? with foods that they need to stay healthy, and fend off weight gain. For the sake of current and future dieters who are going to struggle with misleading "fat free" marketing, it is hoped that such intelligent companies, and their products, quickly become the norm of the future, rather than the exception of today.

ABOUT PROTICA

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------

[1] Fat grams contain 9 calories each.

[2] 3 grams of fat per onion ring!

[3] As briefly noted above, many dieters fail to realize that there are healthy unsaturated fats that the body requires; the body cannot produce fat on its own, it must receive it through diet. Yet even unsaturated fat grams contain 9 calories each, and so the understanding the fats should be severely limited holds true.

REFERENCES

[i] Source: "Unsaturated Fat". Discoveryhealth.com. http://health.discovery.com/encyclopedias/1946.html

[ii] Source: "Fat Content of Foods". Weight Control Infocenter. http://holisticonline.com/Remedies/weight/weight_table-fat-content-of-foods2.htm

[iii] : "Watching Fat vs. Calories". Good Housekeeping/iVillage. http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/diet/nutrition/qas/0,,284558_291893,00.html ?arrivalSA=1&cobrandRef=0&arrival_freqCap=1&pba=adid=13272851

[iv] Source: "Fat Free vs. Regular Calorie Comparison". US Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/chrt_calcomp.html

[v] Source: "Fueling Up with Energy Bars". Healthcentral.com http://www.healthcentral.com/FitorFat/FitorFatFullText.cfm?ID=34334&storytype=CBTips

Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

---

Help Your Heart Grow

I turned into my parents' driveway in Maryland and parked... Read More

Dieting -- The Basic of Meal Planning

BASIC MEAL & MENU PLANNINGAs a basis for meals and... Read More

Body Calling: Maintaining Excellent Health

Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More

Who Said Bananas Are Not Good For You?

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in... Read More

The Magic in Food: LOVE

Remember the old adage, you are what you eat? The... Read More

Fat Burning Compatible Foods

Fat burning compatible foods seem to be a popular topic... Read More

Adding to Your Level of Health is the Key

Here is a continuation of the light and darkness metaphor:... Read More

5 Ways to Get the Best Out of Radishes

They sit left behind on relish trays. They're often by-passed... Read More

Minerals, Minerals, Minerals

You are a mineral bodyEvery part of you is made... Read More

Beans - The Perfect Food?

Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they... Read More

Water And Good Hydration

The key to good hydration is drinking a lot of... Read More

Food Intolerance

Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten... Read More

Aspartame -More Dangerous Than High Fructose Corn Syrup

It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More

Chew Your Food

I am going to share with you possibly the most... Read More

Feeling Tired? No Pep & Zing? Tap Into Breakfast Smoothies!

I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has... Read More

Train Your Self To Eat Healthy

For some people it is really hard to give up... Read More

Enzymes and Raw Food ? Can You Cheat Time and Stay Young for Longer?

I'm going to be a bit radical here, but know... Read More

The 9 Most Common Mistakes to Avoid When Reading a Food Label

NutrientsFat, Sugar, Sodium and CarbohydrateThe sections on a food label... Read More

How My Health Was Restored Through Glyconutrition

My name is Mildred Shears. I'm retired and I live... Read More

Do You Know Your Bodys ph And Its Relation To Your Health

Do you know your ph? By getting ph strips at... Read More

Bathing Suit Season - A Nutritional Guide

Spring is in the air and ? summer is around... Read More

Compulsive Eating Alternative: Learning to Eat With Pleasure

Do you allow pleasure from food? Are your senses throughly... Read More

5 Tips To Lower Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol has been around for thousands of years. It's a... Read More

Eating On the Go: Healthy Choices While You Travel

If you have a business trip tomorrow morning, you've probably... Read More

Buying Organic Produce: 6 Tips on How to Shop Wisely and Save Money

Some say they don't or can't buy organic foods due... Read More

Healthy Eating Made Simple

The confusion about eating healthy and dieting will now be... Read More

Dietary Guideline USA

Are you sick and tired of the confusion about our... Read More

The Anti-Aging Wonders of Hyaluronic Acid

ABC News has recently focused on the possible anti-aging benefits... Read More

Aggressive Behaviour Seems To Be Triggered By Early Age Diet

The fact that diet directly affects behaviour is no news,... Read More

The Most Effective Treatments for Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More

Vitamins and Minerals for a Healthy Reproductive System

Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential to the development... Read More

Ultra Refined Fish Oil - The New Generation of Fish Oil

Dr. Barry Sears revolutionized nutritional thinking around the world with... Read More

Herbs that Heal Naturally

The word herb is used to refer to any part... Read More