Low fat diets work as weight loss diets because
they reduce calorie intake. The difficulty with low fat
and very low fat diets is that they are difficult to
maintain.
Often when people go off these diets they
gain weight back, then diet again, then gain weight
back in a pattern of weight cycling. This happens with
many diets, but some research shows that people who
go off low fat diets tend to binge or overeat more than
people who go off more moderate diets.
People on low fat diets need to avoid certain foods.
High-fat foods include whole milk and whole milk
products such as ice cream or cream cheese, fried
foods, marbled beef, chicken skin, spare ribs or any
meat with visible fat, tuna packed in oil, regular salad
dressing, potato chips and fried snack foods, and many
baked goods—cookies, cakes, pies, and doughnuts.
People wishing to reduce the fat in their diet must
read food labels. Food labels are required to list in the
nutrition information panel nutrition facts that
include calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated
fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates,
dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C,
calcium, and iron.
In addition, the following words
have specific legal meanings on food labels.
-Fat-free: less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.
-Low fat: no more than 3 grams or less of fat per
serving.
-Less fat: A minimum of 25% less fat than the
comparison food.
-Light (fat) A minimum of 50% less fat than the
comparison food.
The home cook can also reduce fat in the diet in
the following ways:
-Remove all visible fat from meat and skin from
poultry before cooking.
-Bake or broil meats on a rack set in a pan, so that
the fat can drip off.
-Refrigerate homemade soups and stews, then skim
the solidified fat off the top before serving.
-If using canned soup or broth that contains fat, put
the can in the refrigerator for a few hours, and skim
the solid fat off the top before heating.
-Use low-fat yogurt and herbs on baked potatoes in
place of butter or sour cream.
-Top pasta with vegetables instead of oil, butter, or
cheese.
To reduce fat in meals when eating out:
-Choose items that are broiled, roasted or baked.
Avoid fried foods.
-Select fish or chicken instead of beef or pork.
-Ask for salad dressing, butter, and gravy on the
side.
-Fill up on salad with non-fat dressing at the salad
bar.
Benefits
People who go on low fat diets can benefit in these ways:
- They lose weight.
- Their health usually improves.
- Their risk of developing cardiovascular disease may decrease.
- They get relief from unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
Low fat diets are effective in improving certain
digestive symptoms. A general low fat diet is usually
prescribed first, and then fine-tuned with the aid of a
physician to best treat the individual’s digestive
problems.
