ON THE COVER Dr Sarah Jarvis Is fat really bad?
My Weekly’s favourite GP from Tv and radio writes for you
There are so many conflicting stories about fat around it’s enough to make your head spin! In fact, advice from Public Health England hasn’t changed, and if you’re already eating what you thought was a “heart healthy” diet, you’re on the right lines.
If I ask you to think about cholesterol, you probably assume it was all bad. In fact, we need some diet fat to make cholesterol. It’s in every cell wall in your body, but most people have too much cholesterol in their bloodstream. This gets laid down on the inside of your blood vessels, contributing to blockages that cause heart attack and stroke.
Most of the cholesterol we need comes from fats we eat. Saturated fat (in fatty meat, high-fat dairy products, cakes etc) can raise your cholesterol – which has been clearly linked to heart disease. But so can being overweight, and that’s down to calories in and out. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are better, but too much still piles on the pounds.
For decades, we’ve been advised that eating too much saturated fat is bad for your heart. It’s become clear that too much sugar is bad too. That may be where the current confusion comes from. Cutting down on fat but replacing it with sugar and refined carbohydrates – white bread and pasta, biscuits, cakes etc – is just as unhealthy.
These days, it’s all about balance – and that’s where the Mediterranean diet comes in. Study after study has shown the benefits of swapping refined for unrefined carbohydrates (wholemeal and wholegrain foods),
FOODS CONTAINING PLANT STEROLS (FORTIFIED SPREADS ETC) CAN HELP REDUCE YOUR CHOLESTEROL BY UP TO 10%
upping veg (and to a lesser extent fruit), less dairy fat but more unsaturated fats like olive oil or rapeseed oil, and replacing some meat with fish. Nuts and seeds are high in protein and “good” fats, and a great way of keeping you full up – but eat them in moderation. Plant-based spreads instead of butter are an easy win – lower in saturated fat and good for the planet!
A recent report claims advice to lower saturated fat has actually made us fatter, but from my consulting room it looks likely that snacking, and increasing portion sizes, are to blame. Many “single portion” ready meals and crisp packs have almost doubled in size in 30 years.
There are two main kinds of fat that contribute to obesity. The first sits under your skin – it’s the inch you can pinch. It often builds up around your hips, and people who carry most of their excess fat under their skin are pear-shaped.
The other kind is abdominal fat – it sits deep in your stomach cavity and wraps itself round your organs. People who tend to carry excess weight as abdominal fat are apple-shaped, or in men tend to have a beer belly. Unlike other fat, abdominal fat produces toxins that cause inflammation. They can increase your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
It’s not inevitable that you’ll put on weight as you get older, although you do tend to lose muscle. After the menopause, fat can tend to shift from your hips to your tummy as well. You’ll probably be less active on a day-to-day basis, so you’ll burn energy more slowly. That means you’ll tend to put on weight if you don’t cut your portion sizes. But don’t throw in the towel – once you’re retired, you’ll have more time for exercise, and it could give you a whole new lease of life! Next week: Living without antibiotics
PACK UP PORTIONS OF VEG, NUTS OR MALT LOAF WITH LOW-FAT SPREAD WHEN YOU’RE OUT. AVOID THE TEMPTATION OF THAT CHOCOLATE BAR!