“. . . the low-fat diet has not proven to be effective at reducing heart disease or our waistlines, and the resulting increase in refined carbohydrates hasn’t done us any good, either.In fact, several recent studies have shown that dietary fat (even saturated fat) and cholesterol are actually associated with LESS obesity.”  L Egan

It seems obvious: eating fat makes you fat and unhealthy, right?

Well, not quite. As with most things related to nutrition and health, it isn’t that simple or straightforward. A combination of flawed studies, political bias, and clever marketing by the food industry led to the birth of the low-fat craze – a trend that has lasted nearly 40-years. Thankfully, that craze finally appears to be in its death throes.

The idea that dietary fat was bad for health didn’t start until around 1940, when some scientists and physicians started to suspect that diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol were linked to heart disease. This was based on their interpretation of some research, which was not without controversy – some experts were skeptical and didn’t jump on the “fat is bad” bandwagon.

By the 1950s, doctors were recommending low-fat diets to patients who were considered at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Even though some studies did not support what came to be known as the “diet-heart hypothesis”, and there was no proof of a link between dietary fat and cardiovascular disease, the ideology picked up speed.

And the low-fat craze slowly began. Continue reading →