Reduced Fat!, Low Fat!, No Fat! And of course Fat Free!

Visit your nearest grocery store and on every aisle you will witness one of the most brilliant marketing strategies ever devised. Labels screaming, "Reduced Fat!, Low Fat!, No Fat! And of course Fat Free!" Even fresh squeezed orange juice bottles taut the fat free label in an attempt to boost sales (like a glass of fruit juice ever contained any fat). The sale of low fat products is a thirty billion-dollar industry. Nabisco’s line of Snackwell reduced fat cookies became America’s favorite snack practically overnight. This was the result of Nabisco’s marketing of the low fat label, we know it couldn’t possibly be because of the taste or should we say the aftertaste.

The US government has also joined the reduced fat campaign. The Food and Drug Administration now requires virtually all food labels to incorporate the fat content contained in each product, the same label that endorses the thirty-percent of calories from fat recommendation.

What started all of this Reduced Fat, Low Fat, Fat-Free hype? That is anyone’s guess. Statements like "You are what you eat" have been around for decades. Fat probably became the focus of dieting fads because it is the most concentrated source of calories (fat contains nine calories per gram compared to only four calories per gram associated with carbohydrates and proteins). Research also suggests the body prefers to use carbohydrates for fuel while storing fats as fat.

According to the Department of Agriculture, individuals are consuming less fat as a percentage of their total caloric consumption. During the mid-nineties fat comprised an estimated thirty-three percent of the caloric intake of U.S. diets compared to forty-percent during the late seventies. So, all this hype must be working? "Americans are consuming significantly less fat as a percentage of their total caloric intake, therefore, as a nation these individuals must be losing weight while enjoying a decrease in the co-morbidity associated with obesity." NOT THE CASE!!! According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the trend in the prevalence of obesity is increasing. The guidelines note that from 1960 to 1997 the prevalence of obesity in adults (BMI) increased from nearly 13 percent to 22.5 percent of the U.S. population; with most of the increase occurring in the 1990’s.

How can this increase in obesity be explained? Simply, "Calories are Calories," while Americans are consuming less fat in their diet they in turn are consuming more calories. The thirty billion dollar a year fat-free food industry combined with their multi-million dollar marketing campaigns have Americans believing fat-free represents calorie-free. So Americans are actually consuming more food, thus, more calories while the fat-free industry laughs their way to the bank.

Studies have shown that when individuals are presented with two meals, one believed to be "rich in fat" as compared to "reduced-fat," individuals will actually consume far less calories eating the meal believed to be "rich in fat." Individuals tend to, indulge themselves, having second and even third helpings when they believe they are eating "healthy".

Another detail the fat-free industry fails to inform the consumer about is how they are replacing the fat content in their products. Many of the low-fat foods, which have been recently introduced, have simply substituted the fat content with sugars to compensate for the taste lost by the absence of shortening. The problem results from the high caloric content of the sugars added to the fat-free products. So often the low-fat version of foods actually have nearly the same or even more calories than regular product.

So how do individuals lose weight and more importantly keep the weight off? First, individuals must understand the concept of diet or dieting. Diet actually comes from the Greek word "dieta," which means "way of life." In the situation of obesity, diet is a method of prescribing a new way of living, concentrating on increasing self-esteem while decreasing the prevalence of health complications associated with obesity.

Losing and maintaining weight loss in a safe and sensible manner requires a multifaceted approach. Individuals should set realistic and attainable goals develop eating/social behavior patterns that promote success, and incorporate a exercise program designed for the long term.