Low-Fat and High-Fiber Diets
Some studies suggest that replacing foods high in fats with low-fat complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) may be more effective than calorie counting, particularly in maintaining weight loss. This dietary approach requires counting only grams of fat with the goal of achieving 30% or fewer calories from fat. (One gram of fat contains nine calories while one gram of carbohydrates or protein has only four calories, and dietary fat converts more readily to fat in the body than carbohydrates or proteins.) Simply switching to low-fat or skimmed diary products may be sufficient for some people.
There are possible drawbacks to this approach:
- Some people who reduce their fat intake may not consume enough basic nutrients, including vitamins A and E, folic acid, calcium, iron, and zinc. People on low-fat diets should consume a wide variety of foods and take a multivitamin if appropriate. Calcium deficiencies may be particularly harmful in women at risk for osteoporosis.
- Many people over-increase their intake of carbohydrates, believing that they are not adding calories. No one should use a low-fat diet as an excuse for over-consuming carbohydrates, particularly starchy foods and sugar. A high-calorie diet from any source will add pounds.
- Replacing fatty foods, such as cakes, cookies, and chips, with their commercial "low-fat" counterparts does not constitute a low-fat diet. These foods generally contain more sugar and hence calories, not to mention other ingredients, which have virtually no nutritional value. In fact, a 2002 study suggested that increasing sugar may, over time, reduce levels of HDL cholesterol, the so-called good cholesterol.
- Very low-fat diets may increase the risk for stroke from hemorrhage in the brain.
Some fat in a diet is essential. It should be derived from plant oils and fish, however, and not from saturated fat from animal products or trans-fatty acids from hydrogenated (hardened) oils. (Trans-fatty acids, in fact, are more of a risk factor for obesity than saturated fats, although both should be avoided.)
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