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NEWS
Weighing
Fat Against Calories
 We
know that over-eating can cause health problems. But what
are its exact implications? Is it too much fat that is causing
the increasing weight problem in our country, or are too many
calories the problem regardless of whether they come from
fat?
For some time, we have known that calories are more concentrated
in fat than other food sources. Studies in recent years have
also noted that calories from fat seem to be more easily converted
to body fat than calories from other sources. Studies in which
participants increased exercise in equal amounts, and were
allowed to eat as much food as they wanted, found that those
given access solely to low-fat foods lost more weight than
subjects who ate an average diet. Participants only given
high-fat foods lost no weight.
What is not always publicized about such findings is that
a low-fat diet based largely on whole grains, vegetables and
fruits contains much more bulk and tends to be more filling
than higher-fat diets. Therefore, people with free access
to low-fat foods tend to not only eat less fat, but they also
tend to consume fewer calories. This relationship between
calories and fat was seen in another recent study that found
when calories were reduced by the same amount, people on low-fat
diets didn't lose any more weight than those on high-fat diets.
These studies seem to suggest that it doesn't matter what
you eat, as
long as you control calories. This may be harder to do than
you would think. Research suggests that certain substances
in high-fat foods can actually cause you to overeat. Subjects
in an experiment were given appetizers before lunch that were
equal in portion size and calories. While one day's appetizer
was mainly carbohydrate with a little fat and no alcohol,
the second day's starter was mainly fat with some alcohol
and very little carbohydrate. After eating the appetizer,
the participants could eat as much lunch and dinner as they
wanted. Those who ate the high-fat and alcohol appetizer consumed
almost 200 calories more at lunch. Even though you might expect
that those who ate more at lunch would compensate by eating
less at dinner, the two groups ate essentially the same number
of calories at dinner, giving the high-fat and alcohol group
a higher calorie intake for the day.
So, not only do high-fat foods have more calories in smaller
portions, this experiment suggests that they (at least in
conjunction with alcohol) can also lead to even greater caloric
intake by interfering with the body's normal food control
mechanisms. In studies when too many calories are eaten as
carbohydrates, subjects tend to eat less later to compensate;
when excess calories are eaten as fat, however, subjects seem
less likely to limit subsequent food intake. Because all the
information is not in, the question of fat versus calories
is not a simple one. An excess of either fat or calories will
promote weight gain and raise cancer risk. Therefore, a healthy
diet should include both. By eating fat-free foods in moderation,
as well as foods that have fewer calories but still have fat,
you can follow the dietary guidelines recommended by experts
like the American Institute for Cancer Research to maintain
a healthy weight and lower cancer risk.
Courtesy
: The American Institute for Cancer Research
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