If you're trying to lose weight and improve your overall health, a thoughtfully planned diet and exercise program is almost always the best way to achieve your goals. For many years, a low-fat diet has been one method people have used to boost their health, which is why there's so much information on low-fat diets available. Sometimes it can be challenging to sift through all the information to find the facts you want.
Identification
A low-fat diet should have no more than 30 percent of its total calories from fat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Since 1g of fat has about 9 calories, you can calculate the number of of calories from fat in your diet by multiplying the number of grams of fat you eat by 9. For instance, if you eat 65g of fat a day in a 2,000-calorie per day diet, you'd multiply 65 times 9 to get 585 calories, which would be a little more than 29 percent of your total calorie intake.
Significance
A diet low in fat reduces your risk for obesity and the many health problems that go along with carrying too much weight, including arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. Because 1g of fat contains more than twice the number of calories that 1g of protein or carbohydrates contain, eating large amounts of fat will make you gain more weight than eating same-size servings of protein or carbohydrates.
Considerations
There are several different types of fats, and not all of them are bad. Some fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. Try to avoid saturated fats and trans fats, which are commonly found in meat and dairy products, which can significantly raise blood cholesterol levels, according to the USDA. The USDA recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to just 10 percent or less of your daily calorie intake. On the other hand, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats--like the fats found in nuts, olive oil and fatty fish--have health benefits even though they're high in calories.
Misconceptions
Contrary to long-held belief, a low-fat diet does not reduce your risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke or colorectal cancer, according to doctors at the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, who cite a series of studies published in the 2006 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association" from the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Initiative (WHI). According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, these studies suggest that people should focus more on the kinds of fats they eat than on the amount of fat they're eating if they want to improve heart health and reduce disease risk.
Expert Insight
If you've opted for a low-fat diet, the best way to prepare your foods is by baking, steaming or grilling them, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Avoid frying foods or serving them with high-fat butter or cream sauces.
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