Reducing fat intake is one approach that can be used with overall diet modification and exercise to lose weight because low-fat diets can decrease overall calorie consumption. At 9 calories per gram, fat is higher in calories than carbohydrates and protein. However, successful weight loss requires a sustained energy deficit, or consuming fewer calories than you burn.
Warning
Fat is a macronutrient that provides energy, insulates vital organs and helps in the absorption of key vitamins. It is essential to obtain some fat through food, so a low-fat diet to lose weight should not eliminate all fat, but limit it and choose sources that provide heart-health benefits.
Approach
A low-fat diet refers to one in which 30 percent or fewer of daily calories come from fat. The American Heart Association recommends consuming between 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories through fat. If you are on a 1,500-calorie diet to lose weight, this would mean consuming no more than 525 calories from fat, or no more than 58 grams of total fat.
Tips
The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets offer tips for reducing fat at home and when eating out. These include removing skin from meat, using low-fat seasonings such as herbs in place of cream and butter, choosing food that is baked or broiled instead of fried and using nonfat dressing options on salads. These tips decrease overall calories and aid in weight loss.
Identification
Food labels are important for anyone using a low-fat diet to control weight. Many packaged foods make claims of being low-fat, fat-free (less than .05 grams of fat per serving) or reduced fat (at least 25 percent less fat than a comparison food). All food claims are regulated by the FDA.
Misconceptions
Low fat may not always mean low calories, and taking in more calories than you need leads to weight gain. Reducing fat as an approach to weight loss should be combined with eating a balanced diet and incorporating physical activity to create a calorie deficit.
References
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- FDA: Food Label Laws
- "Low-fat diet"; Tish Davidson; "The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets"; Jacqueline L. Longe (ed.); 2008
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