Recommended fat intake should increase?

“Recommended fat intake should increase, Canadian researchers say” is definitely an article title that caught my attention. The study cited suggests that “Low-fat diets have led to dangerously high carbohydrate consumption.” It goes on to say that policy on nutrition has been too focused on fat reduction and that we should limit carbohydrate intake. The report points out that “people who ate a lot of carbohydrates (more than 60 per cent of their total calorie intake) were at higher risk of death overall, as well as death not related to cardiovascular disease.” It stresses that “moderation in all foods, including fats and carbohydrates, is important.”

Given that many people in our society today struggle with being overweight and are considered “fat,” at first, the idea of ingesting more “fat” appears counterintuitive. For decades, it was believed that fat was the culprit, so the push was to replace the fat with carbs. With this in mind, the fast food industry jumped at the opportunity to peddle relevant products. If you were to sneak a peek at most fast food joints’ menus, it is quickly apparent that the “food” served is mostly made up of carbohydrates. However, by replacing fat with carbohydrates, the result was that people ingested more carbohydrates and inadvertently became “fat.” In essence, the fast food industry literally “fed” right into this craze and, in the process, padded their pockets at the expense of people’s health.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the fast food industry was actually behind the research that criticized fat and condoned carb intake. Politicians and nutritionists alike were likely paid off to promote one over the other. Bribery and subterfuge at everyone else's expense! For the umpteenth time, blame must be place where it belongs: Blame it on fast foods!

- B.J.T. Pepin