Fat in food vs Fat on your body

    I was frustrated by the research study on M&Ms. I was frustrated because it is 2013 and I thought we had learned that low fat is not the answer to our collective weight problem.
   Studies that continue to focus on promoting low fat choices add to the confusion.
As someone who has expertise in public health nutrition, health education and health promotion, I must try to clear this up. 
   Fat in food does not equal fat on your body.
   Too many calories from any source does. When a person regularly consumes more calories than their body needs, the extra is stored as body fat.  (Note: Over indulging every weekend is regularly consuming too much.)  There are ways to increase your intake to build lean body mass but that is not the focus here.

YES it is true that there are more calories in a gram of fat than there are in a gram of carbohydrate, protein or alcohol.   (9,4,4,7)  
YES it is true that some foods are more nutritious than other foods.  It is recommended that we fill our plates with nutrient dense, not energy dense, foods 
    Foods that are especially important are complex carbohydrates (vegetables and many fruits), whole grains and so called 'healthy' oils or fats (like those in olive oils and salmon).
Complex carbohydrates contain phytochemicals, flavinoids, and antioxidants.  These substances have been associated with reduced risk of many chronic diseases.
And YES it is true that refined or simple carbs, like sugar, white flour (rice, pasta, bread) baked goods, sugary or starchy fruits with little fiber, and all sugar sweetened beverages have more calories than they do nutrients.
AND Yes, it is true that some sources of fat just like some sources of carbs are believed to be harmful. (e.g., red and processed meats are associated with colon cancer).
   The reason some foods are calorically (energy) dense is because they are full of sugar or fried in grease.  
   Too many calories from either  = fat storage. 
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    And because its politically palatable to promote, physical activity as a solution to the country's obesity 'problem,'  I have to address that too.  Initiatives to build more parks and alert people to "take the stairs" are only going to work (for weight control) if two things happen.  TWO things.

1) people actually start using the stairs and parks, and
2) they stop eating too much

It does not matter how many stairs a person climbs (Mayor Bloomberg), if he or she eats more calories than needed - weight loss will not occur if 'we' keep eating too much.

There are people (fewer than the drug/genetic companies would have us think) who fall outside these generalities.  In other words, some people do not gain weight no matter how much they eat and others do not lose weight not matter how much they restrict.  These are very unusual people and I suspect you are not one of them. 

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a dietitian who can give individual diet advice.   I share information based on research and public health recommendations.

Why Exercise is Essential

  Here is the most important thing that you need to know about exercise – and it applies to either weight loss or weight gain.  Exercise matters because it has an impact on body weight; specifically, body weight ratio.  Most basically, our body weight is composed of fat mass and fat free mass (sometimes referred to as lean body mass).  Fat free mass involves several components, including, bones, muscles and water.  When you change your body weight, it is essential for good health and calorie expenditure that you increase your fat free mass and/or preserve your fat free mass.            

   Exercise helps you to do so because it builds muscle.  Muscle where most energy is burned.   If you lose lean body mass you may weigh less but have a higher ratio of body fat and this is not good.

   A person can be overweight and not have metabolic disturbance if they exercise and keep up their fat free mass (they may still have joint problems though).  A person can be thin and have metabolic dysfunction because they have a higher proportion of fat mass.

   Cardio exercise can certainly keep you toned, but to build muscle I recommend that you consider strength training (resistance or weight lifting) at least twice a week (as the PGA suggest.)

   I also want to share with you this sentence from the recently released report U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council (2012).

[D]ecades of research suggest that avoiding sedentary behavior and engaging in regular physical activity (independent of body weight, body mass index, and dietary habits) exerts its own protective effect on the risk of heart disease and stroke and possibly other conditions, including cancer, depression, and dementia (Lee et al., 2012; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008a).

   As the sometimes controversial Robert Lustig, MD says, “exercise is the anecdote for anything that is wrong.”  I agree – and you know that I do.  He also thinks fructose is the root of all evil and that foods that cause the release of insulin are the culprit for our obesity epidemic or the diseases that accompany it.  I am not sure – but he has a new book out that you might like to search for if you are interested.  I agree with him 85% of the time, somewhat less than I agree with Walter Willett (90+%) and a lot more than I agree with that Dr. Oz fellow.  

Interested in the full report regarding the poor health of Americans compared to similar countries... click here.

Excess Body Fat

   If you are concerned with excess body fat please consider the quality of your diet, calorie modification and exercise.
   The attached article (click here) concerns the lack of regulation for cosmetic surgery.  It also highlights adverse consequences because of it.  The article shares serious misfortunes of persons who have had liposuction.  
    This is not the recommended way to rid yourself of fat.  A health promoting lifestyle is just that - a lifestyle.  It is something you do every day because every day you are worth it.

Don't Lipo...