Which Fatty Foods Should You Not Eat?

While fats play an important role in human health, certain types of fat are associated with high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, cancer and heart disease. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, limiting "bad" fats--saturated fats and trans fats--is more important in reducing your risk for disease than limiting fat in general. Consume "good" fats--polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats--as part of a nutrient-rich, balanced diet for optimum wellness.

Fatty Meat and Poultry

High-fat meat and poultry, such as organ meats, beef, beef fat, veal, lamb, pork chops, poultry fat and dark-meat poultry, contain rich amounts of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. According to a "U.S. News and World Report" article from December 2007, even modest consumption of red or processed meat, such as bacon, can increase your risk for numerous forms of cancer. This is a startling fact, since Americans consume an average of 2.5 oz. of red meat per day. Other processed meat varieties include sandwich meat, cold cuts, regular and fat-reduced hot dogs, red-meat sausage and poultry sausage. Deep-fried meat and poultry contain added unhealthy fat content, further increasing your health risks. Red meat with visible fat contains more saturated fat than other red meat varieties.

High-Fat Dairy Products

Dairy products provide rich amounts of protein and nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D. Full-fat varieties, however, contribute rich amounts of saturated fat, according to the American Heart Association. High-fat dairy products to avoid for improved wellness include whole milk, heavy cream, butter, most cheeses, and other foods and beverages made with whole or 2 percent milk. Foods that combine dairy products with fatty meat, such as cheeseburgers, pepperoni or sausage pizza and conventional lasagna, may pose most health risks, since they contain multiple saturated fat sources. Fried dairy products, such as mozzarella sticks and deep-fried cheese curds, also contain multiple unhealthy fat sources.

Commercially Prepared Snack Foods

Commercially prepared snack foods are prime sources of trans fats--fats produced by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil to create a longer-lasting, solid fat source. According to the Mayo Clinic, trans fats are a "double whammy," since they can increase your LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and reduce your HDL, or "good" cholesterol. They can also increase your risk for heart disease significantly. Common sources of trans fats include commercially prepared crackers, chips, cakes, cookies, pastries, french fries and onion rings. The Mayo Clinic recommends checking food packaging for trans fat sources, which include hydrogenated vegetable oil, margarine and shortening, since companies are not required to list trace amounts of trans fats on nutrition labels.