Nutrition discussion (Fats – what’s the latest?

Fats do not cause people to become overweight in and of themselves. Total calories in relation to the person’s metabolism, activity, life stage, muscle composition, and many other factors help in determining how many calories a day we need (we will learn this in the energy metabolism module later in the semester). However, because fats are more than twice the caloric value of sugars & starches, this is part of the reason why the AMDR is 20-35% and the AMDR range is at 45-65%. But, saturated fats, regardless of one’s weight, are the least healthy type of fat. Very few subjects related to nutrition are debated as much as the fats–which are good, which are not, and how to make food choices that take everything we know about them into account. A classic example is the advice on butter vs. margarine, which has gone back and forth over the years, in response to the evolving science. In the most recent update of the USDA Dietary Guidelines, it has been determined from the scientific data that cholesterol is no longer of concern from foods, and will not cause a rise in LDL if consuming excess cholesterol. HOWEVER, saturated fats will cause an increase in LDL levels in blood and therefore are to be avoided to reduce risk of heart disease.As we learned, LDL is carrying 50% or more cholesterol through the bloodstream to the cells, however, too high of a level of LDL in circulation is not a good thing. So, along with an increase in all calories (where excess calories are stored in adipose tissue), perhaps too much in excess sugars (which would be converted to fats in excess) and saturated fats can affect levels in blood, however, cholesterol in food is no longer considered a factor. Watch the 3 min CBS news video: