Trying to lose fat? Cut fat out of your diet to lose fat, obviously. Ah, the 90s. Diets were low fat, America’s paler citizens thought Rodney King was an isolated incident, and even a presidential impeachment was less messy. Simpler times.
The promise of low fat diets helped some people lose weight but a lot of us felt disillusioned as we slid into the low carb era of the aughts.
Today’s Moment of Science… why low fat diets failed us.
Three macronutrients provide you with calories. Protein and carbohydrates each have four calories per gram, whereas fat has nine calories per gram. They all have unique uses in the body, and unless medically advised otherwise personally by a doctor who’s examined you, you should probably get some of each on a regular basis.
A low fat diet cuts out many of the same foods that a low carb diet restricts. Though we often think of desserts as carb laden snacks, a Snickers bar gets about an even split of its calories from fat and carbs. Same with Doritos. And ice cream, the really good stuff? There’s a much higher caloric hit from fat than carbs.
Fruits and veggies that derive their calories from carbs can also pack a punch of fiber, water, and vitamins, and low fat protein sources are excellent for satiety. Gram for gram, compared to many other diets, a person can often manage to eat a larger volume of food containing fewer calories with a focus on low fat eating patterns. Since staying satiated is one of the hardest parts of a diet, at first glance this sounds like it could have an advantage.
So how did the low fat craze fail to put an end to our weight struggles?
(For the record, it’s not like the low carb craze did much better).
First, because all diets suck. Because calories are fucking delicious. If you love your diet, don’t fucking @ me.
Next, the ability to stick to a diet is a huge determinant of if someone succeeds or not. Stick a pin in this.
Lastly, the food industry didn’t have their shit together, and this was one of the biggest problems.
When people tried to go low fat, it was sold to them that they didn’t need to give up their favorite foods. We had a country of dieters who didn’t want to consume too many calories from fat, and also a demand for cheese. Because this is America and fuck you. Food companies heard the consumer’s demands and- selflessly, I’m sure- made products to fit this healthy new lifestyle.
Light foods had some funny definitions though. A product labeled light, in the absence of any other information, is “light” only in comparison to the original. In products that originally contained at least 50% of their calories from fat, a light label signified a 50% reduction in fat calories. Products containing less than 50% of its calories from fat could reduce calories by a third or reduce fat by 50%. Because I know when I go to the grocery store, I want to do algebra.
At least you could enjoy all your favorite foods on a low fat diet now.
Want a cookie? Make it a Snackwells with the fat cut to the point where the sugar puck is dryer than Ben Shapiro’s wife’s vagina.
Breakfast? Low-fat Brown Sugar Pop Tarts- it’s basically kale.
For a flavor sensation, you can have a potato with a spritz of Of-Course-This-Isn’t-Fucking-Butter.
People were often focused on counting fat grams and making sure they stuck to “light” foods while serving sizes and calories per serving regularly got lost in the shuffle. The companies that made a lot of these foods weren’t too helpful with labeling that lacked clarity, contributing quite a bit to people unknowingly not sticking to their diets.
I mean, I probably knew not to eat the entire box of low fat bullshit. But hand me a snack labeled “guilt-free,” and I’m gonna take you at your word. Now pass the anal leakage chips, they’re fat free.
So what does this all mean for you, a person who’s just trying to understand nutrition a bit better?
Never mind weight loss, you should focus on healthful eating for the sake of your health in general. If you have questions about how to manage your food intake for any reason, ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitian. It’s perfectly possible to lose weight on any combination of protein, carbs, and fats. Burning more than you’re taking in can be accomplished in myriad ways, including a low fat diet that takes total caloric load into account.
Howthefuckever. Dietary compliance is key, and it can be hard no matter how you choose to approach it. It’s made harder by mixed messages about what makes a healthful food. So talk to a professional, and don’t just take nutrition advice from posts on facebook.
…Wait.
This has been your daily Moment of Science, letting you know that light peanut butter and regular peanut butter have the exact same number of calories, and I would like a word with the food scientist responsible for this monstrosity.
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