Obesity

- Are your ideas of obesity and fat control based on a myth? -

For years we heard that a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet would keep us healthy and help us lose weight. And many of us jumped on the bandwagon. Our idea of obesity and fat control was to eliminate fat and high-cholesterol foods from our diets.

Unfortunately, we were doing it all wrong.

– The Truth about Obesity and Fat Control –

Instead of eliminating fat completely, we should have been eliminating the “bad fats,” the fats associated with obesity and heart disease and eating the “good fats,” the fats that actually help improve blood cholesterol levels.

– Bad Fats –

There are two bad fats that you should limit your intake of saturated and trans fats.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are mostly animal fats. You find them in meat, whole-milk products, poultry skin, and egg yolks. Coconut oil also has a high amount of saturated fat. Saturated fats raise the levels of both the good and bad blood cholesterol.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are produced through hydrogenationheating oils in the presence of oxygen. Many products contain trans fats because the fats help them maintain a longer shelf life.

Margarine also contains a high amount of trans fats. Trans fats are especially dangerous because they lower the good cholesterol, HDL and raise the bad cholesterol, LDL.

Unfortunately, most product labels do not tell you how much trans fat it contains, but you can find out if it’s in a product by looking at the ingredient list. If the ingredients contain hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils, then it contains trans fats.

The good news is in 2006, manufacturers will be required to list the amount of trans fat in their products on the nutrition labels, so it will be easier for you to find.

– Good Fats –

Some fats actually improve cholesterol levels.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils. These oils contain Omega-6, an essential fatty acid. However, most people get enough Omega-6 in their diet and instead need more Omega-3. Omega-3 is a fatty acid found in fish and walnuts.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats are found in canola, peanut, and olive oils. Both types of unsaturated fats decrease the bad cholesterol, LDL and increase the good cholesterol, HDL.

– Yippee, break out the peanut butter! Whoah, not so fast –

“Hey, maybe this obesity and fat control business is not so hard after all! If unsaturated fats improve my blood cholesterol levels, this means I can splurge on all of the olive oil, peanut butter and nuts I want, right?”
Wrong!

Sorry to be a party pooper, but for proper obesity and fat control, you do need to limit even your intake of good fats.

That’s because fat of any kind does contain calories. Too many calories means you’ll gain weight.

So, in a nutshell, the answer to effective obesity and fat control is this

Eat the good fats in moderation, and stay away from the bad saturated and trans fats.

For more about obesity and fat control, including many useful links, visit http://www.obesitycures.com/obesity-and-fat-control.html

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Alan Cooper is a journalist with 20 year’s experience and the publisher of ObesityCures.com, a site with the ambitious aim of being a “one-stop-shop” for impartial information on obesity and weight loss solutions - including fad diets, prescription weightloss pills and natural weightloss aids.

Tags: obesity and fat control, fat control, good fats, bad fats, trans fats

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What if I told you that fat is a major contributor to the increasing problem of obesity in the world today. It’s stored in the fat cells of the body.

The number of fat cells is estimated to be around 50 billion for the average person. It can be up to 100 billion for the obese person.

Fat cells are like storage tanks of energy to be used for later use. It has been shown that obese people who binge eat may stimulate baby fat cells to sprout to increase the number of fat cells they have.

Fats are found in foods such as butter, margarine, oils, fats, dripping, nuts and oil seeds.

Research conducted indicates that good fats such as fish oils especially deep sea fish, olive oil, canola oil, avocado and nuts contain important fatty acids which if taken by people aged 65 plus reduced the risk of a fatal heart attack by 44%.

Other names for fats include Lard, animal shortening, coconut oil, palm oil, vegetable oil, butterfat, whole milk solids, copra, tallow, chocolate chips, shortening, margarine, cocoa butter.

Lets have a look at the different types of fat. There are three types of fat to found in the diet:

Saturated fats - are found mainly in animal products and do the most damage and are the most related to the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries.

Research has indicated that saturated fats in the diet can increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, which is the unwanted cholesterol and should be avoided. The following foods contain this type of fat:

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Did you know that when you are on a diet, if you eat something and no one sees you - it doesn’t contain any calories! Of course that’s not true…but it is how many of us think!

Do you eat when you are bored, upset or angry? Do you find that every day requires a chocolate bar to get you through the afternoon? If you are trying to lose weight, you may feel guilty about snacks. As a weight loss coach, I find some folk (particularly women) laugh nervously when I ask them what happens to their food consumption around 4pm. This often is the time of the day when the “Snack Monster” takes control of them! Some berate themselves for being weak, out of control and without discipline. They either eventually give up on their diet altogether or develop counter thoughts so they don’t feel so bad. “It didn’t really matter - it is fat free”. Or, “if no one notices, the calories don’t count”.

The good news is that a healthy eating programme leading to weight does not have to be like this. You can lose weight without being hungry or guilty! It’s possible to take control of the “Snack Monster” and healthy snacking can lead you to weight loss success, not failure. So instead of being full of regret about snacking, choose your snacks wisely and have more energy and vitality, without the guilt.

The keys to healthy snacking are to select foods that:
* Can satisfy your hunger,
* Supply your body with energy, and
* Provide important nutrients

Look for foods that contain the following:

* Whole grains. Whole-grain snacks are rich in complex carbohydrates and fibre, which give you immediate energy that has some staying power. Consider items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers and whole-grain crispbreads.

* Fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with no fat and only a small amount of calories. They also provide vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutrients.

* Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are a good source of protein, which helps keep you feeling fuller longer. Nuts and seeds are high in calories, however, so don’t eat them in large quantities.

* Low-fat dairy products. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium, protein, and other nutrients. Be sure to choose low fat versions.

Prepare for your week and have a range of healthy snacks on hand at home or in the office and snack on healthy choices with peace of mind.

Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business operates across 60 countries. Tons of recipes, articles, resources, free newsletter and more to help you lose weight and keep it off forever. Estimate your healthy body weight or receive a free weight loss consultation at http://www.weight-loss-health.com.au

Tags: weight, loss, lose, weightloss, diet, obese, obesity, overweight, BMI, carbohydrate, diabetes, carbs, calorie

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