020617 Fat-Free Foods Can Undermine Weight-Loss Efforts

New York - The introduction of more than 5,000 low-fat and non-fat foods over the past decade has contributed to an epidemic of obesity in America, the American Heart Association (AHA) said.

The trouble comes when people think they can eat unlimited amounts of reduced-fat cookies, frozen yogurt and cakes. While these foods contain less fat than their full-fat versions, they tend to have more sugar and can be even higher in calories.

"Too often we forget about limiting the quantity when a product is promoted as low-fat," Dr. Judith Wylie-Rosett, the author of the paper, said.

She recommends that consumers read nutrition facts labels to compare the number of calories in each serving with the number of servings in the entire container of food. Choosing fresh produce and other fiber- rich foods allows a person to eat a large volume for relatively few calories because it promotes a feeling of fullness.

"Low-fat foods that provide more bulk and fiber may reduce the sensation of hunger for a longer period of time," said Wylie-Rosett, from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York.

Dr. Henry Anhalt, director of a children's weight-loss program at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, advises patients to view fat-free and low-fat desserts the same way they view full-fat desserts--as an occasional treat.

The advice from health experts comes at a time when rates of obesity are unprecedented in the US and other countries. While Americans have followed the government's advice and reduced fat intake in the past half-century, they continue to pack on the pounds.

Studies have shown that the rate of obesity has doubled in the US in the last 20 years while the number of people with type 2 diabetes, a disease that can result from excess weight, increased by one-third during the 1990s. Children as young as 10 are now being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult- onset diabetes because it affected people in their 40s and older.

"It is a paradox that requires explanation," said. "One can only guess that the total number of calories in food has increased as food has become lower in fat."

The AHA's statement recommends that individuals who want to lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight follow the US government's food guide pyramid and pay particular attention to portion sizes. A serving of meat, for instance, is just 3 ounces or roughly the size of a deck of cards. A half-cup of pasta is equivalent to a serving of carbohydrate.

According to the pyramid, about 60% of a person's daily calorie count should come from carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. No more than 30% of a person's daily calorie allotment should come from fat, of which no more than 10% should come from saturated fat found in animal products such as meat and whole-fat dairy foods. Protein-rich foods should account for about 15% of calories.

The AHA's statement also recommends that individuals avoid excessive amounts of fat substitutes such as olestra, which is found primarily in snack foods. Olestra passes through the body unabsorbed and can cause digestive problems, the authors note in the report published in the June 11th issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

It can also impair the absorption of certain nutrients such as vitamins D and E, and at present, it is not clear how olestra interacts with drugs and with other ingredients in food products.

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