The SKINNY on FAT...Can you lose fat cells?

Today, obesity is a public health concern in the United States and its treatment should incorporate the two precursors of obesity, both diet and exercise.  Obesity is the product of a calorically dense diet, usually high in dietary fats, followed by physical inactivity.  This continuous cycle of large portions, constant snacking, and eating junk and fried foods (stuffed full of “bad” fats) leads to weight gain.  The thing that many people do not understand is weight gain increases the size of fat cells, which is known as hypertrophy.  Then overtime, these enlarged fat cells increase in number, known as hyperplasia.  When fat cells increase in number, the gain is permanent and only the size of the fat cells can be reduced.  If you lose weight, you may shrink the size of your fat cells but the number never decreases!  So how do you stop the fat gain and improve health?  Well, the “low fat” craze on food shelves seems to still be a popular weight loss treatment, but continues to mislead the public.  Research has shown that dietary fat intake is only part of the obesity problem and choosing the right type of fat may be helpful to reduce the risk of cancers, heart disease, and other health complications. 

Fats are an essential nutrient that provides fuel for the body.  "Essential" means that cutting out dietary fat from your diet is NOT the answer!  In fact, "low fat foods" are usually substituted with sugar for taste and excess sugar is converted to fat in the body.  There are various forms of dietary fat, liquid and solid, and are known as unsaturated or “good” fats and saturated  or “bad” fats.  Even though, these different fat forms serve various functions within the body, all fats have the same calorie content of 9 calories per gram.    

Bad fats include trans-fatty acids and saturated fatty acids.  These types of fats have been found to clog arteries and increase colon and prostate cancer.   Food sources include animal products, Crisco, and deep fried everything!  The other type of fat, “good” fats include:  monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  Monounsaturated fats are found in olives, avocados, olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil and soybean oil.  Polyunsaturated fats include safflower oil and corn oil.  An essential type of polyunsaturated fatty acid is omega-3.  Omega-3 can be found in food sources like fish, flax seed, and walnuts.  The American Heart Association recommends consuming 2 servings of fish weekly to help reduce the risk of heart disease.       

Even though the "low fat" fad is still popular today, fat is an important nutrient in your diet and should not be neglected in order to prevent weight gain.  Not all fat is bad and some food sources are better than others.  ASK yourself...where do you get your fat from in your diet?  Could you select better food options?

As Father's Day approaches, we may reflect on the different ways either a father, guardian, or male role model has impacted our lives.  One of the most most common causes of death in men over 75 is prostate cancer.  If interested please join the Sam Pack Five Star Ford team for the 2012 DadFest 5k to raise awareness for prostate cancer.  Interestingly, research has shown that the risk of prostate cancer can be reduced with diets low in saturated fats and high in Omega-3.  

References 

Ross, R., Dagnone, D., Jones, P., Smith, H., Paddags, A., Hudson, R., et al. (2000). Reduction in obesity and related comorbid condition after diet-induced weight loss or exercise-induced weight loss in men. Annuals of Internal Medicine , 133, 92-103.
Texas Woman's University (2012). Dietary Fat & Insulin Resistance. Hormonal Response. Denton, TX, USA.
University of Oklahoma. (2010). Body Composition. HES 3873 Principles of Personal
Training . Norman, OK, USA.