FATS Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee NEWSLETTER

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---- (3) Simple Guidelines on "Good" vs. "Bad" Fats---- Research into how diet can affect health and prevent disease has expanded almost as fast as the obesity rate in the United States. "Sometimes it's a struggle for patients and their physicians to keep up with constantly changing dietary guidelines," says Joan M. Neuner, MD, MPH, Medical College of Wisconsin Assistant Professor of Medicine. "Patients are understandably confused. But I try to tell them that nothing dramatic has really changed. In general, science keeps returning to the overall principle - that Americans are eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise." Fat is a major source of energy for the body and aids in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K and carotenoids. Both animal- and plant-derived food products contain fat, and when eaten in moderation, fat is important for proper growth, development, and maintenance of good health. While unsaturated fats are beneficial when consumed in moderation, saturated and trans fats are not. Trans fats are man-made fats that occur when manufacturers use hydrogenation, a process in which hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to turn it into a more solid fat. They are found in vegetable shortening, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, salad dressings, and other processed foods. Like saturated fats from animal products, trans fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Trans fats can also raise triglycerides and lower the level of the so- called good cholesterol, or the high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), while increasing the levels of the bad cholesterol, or LDLs, the low-density lipoproteins. Now that Americans are told to add healthy fats to their diets but avoid or sharply limit the saturated and trans fats found in so many favourite foods, what's next? "This really isn't such a sea change from what we already know," Dr. Neuner says. "We'll continue to refine the details, but the main message is the same: Eat fewer calories and get more exercise. Be cautious with processed foods, and choose more fruits and vegetables as snacks as often as possible." For the full story, go to: >> http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/newsletter/1031002882.html