Low-fat is bad idea – expert

The low-fat diet popular over the past 50 years has actually contributed to the obesity epidemic, a Harvard professor says.

Nutrition was a complicated field and mostly the research had been underfunded, resulting in some misleading results, Professor David Ludwig said during a visit to Taranaki, ‘‘which is how we got the low-fat diet in the first place’’.

‘‘It has definitely contributed to obesity,’’ he added. ‘‘The notion back in the 1970s was you can’t get fat on carbohydrates – all carbohydrates are good, all fats are bad.’’

So people started eating more carbohydrates and less fat, and it was around that time that obesity exploded, he said.

Ludwig, professor of pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School and professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, was in New Plymouth with his wife, Dawn, a chef, to give two presentations and to look at Taranaki’s Wha¯ nau Pakari, a programme run by Dr Yvonne Anderson that tackles childhood obesity.

The work Anderson and her team are doing shows that not only can these programmes be achieved economically within community settings but they can address issues of equity in healthcare provision, said Ludwig, who was described as an obesity warrior by Time magazine.

‘‘I am delighted to be visiting the Wha¯ nau Pakari team to share ideas and work on potential collaborations.’’

There was a time when low income and disadvantaged populations were literally starving, Ludwig said. ‘‘But in the past 50 years, low income and disadvantaged populations typically have higher rates of obesity because junk food is cheap – they can’t afford the higher quality foods.’’

The Ludwigs have written two books, including the New York Times bestseller Always Hungry?

The low-fat diet of the past half-century unfortunately gave a pass to some of the least healthy foods, he said. ‘‘Cola might be fat-free but it can be very fattening.’’

Low-carb diets over the years have had dramatic results, he added. ‘‘Science shows low-fat diets are far inferior to high-fat diets.’’

Dawn Ludwig translates the science into meal plans and recipes. Her food had to be based on ‘‘good science’’, she said.

‘‘It has to be delicious and it has to be quick and easy. We ran a study of 300 people, to see if they can do this at home in their own kitchens. The number one fear was: really I can eat that much fat?’’

Both of their books provide an approach that provides an alternative to the conventional low-fat diet, she said.

Dr David Ludwig is a professor at Harvard Medical School and specialises in obesity. He is in New Zealand to learn more about our obesity issues. He is pictured with his wife, Dawn Ludwig, who is a chef.