T-Factor Fat Gram Guide

In 1980s and 1990s, the ideology that eating fatty foods was making America fat took over diet culture and created the low-fat craze that still influences health-conscious dieters. Among the diet books of this era was The T-Factor Diet," by Dr. Martin Katahn. It explained that fat calories make you fatter than carbohydrate calories. This book spawned its companion guide, "The T-Factor Fat Gram Counter," which listed the fat grams of foods for you to track your fat intake instead of calories.

The Diet

The basic dieting approach described in "T-Factor Fat Gram Counter" involves reducing fat consumption. According to Katahn, this is the most important alteration you can make to improve your health and control your weight. To lose weight, Katahn states women should consume no more than 40 grams of fat per day and men should consume no more than 60 grams. Total fat intake should be no less than 10 percent of your total calories. The book provides total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, calories, fiber and sodium counts for over 2,000 foods.

Research

Research from the same era produced results that encouraged the low-fat ideology. In 1991, "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" published study results from Cornell University that stated, "body weight can be lost merely by reducing the fat content of the diet without the need to voluntarily restrict food intake." Studies published in "The New England Journal of Medicine" in 2008 suggested that low-carbohydrate or Mediterranean-style diets may be more effective than low-fat diets for long-term weight loss.

Dietary Guidelines

The United States Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Agriculture released dietary guidelines based on the most recent scientific findings. According to the 2010 dietary guidelines, weight management should be based on long-term caloric restriction and exercise. Adults over 19 should consume 20 to 35 percent of calories from mostly healthy fats. More concern is focused on types of fat, rather than overall reduction. Your fat intake should primarily come from monounsaturated fats, while limiting your consumption of trans fats and saturated fats.

Usefulness

While the theories regarding weight loss and the unhealthy attributes of all fats touted in the book are no longer supported, the information provided in "T-Factor Fat Gram Counter" can still be useful. Use the book's calorie count to keep track of your food consumption for weight management. Also, sodium, fiber and saturated fat information can assist you in making healthier food choices. Sodium intake should be less than 2,300 milligrams per day and fiber should be no less than 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men, according to the dietary guidelines.