Feature Articles: Food, Fitness and Weight Control
The Low-Fat Binge
Karma Metzgar, C.F.C.S. Former Northwest Regional Nutrition Specialist, Nodaway County Extension Center, University of Missouri Extension
We have no-fat this and no-fat that, and even the no-fat
fat! America is on a binge of no-fat and low-fat foods.
But the binge is not calorie free, and the result is that
Americans are eight pounds heavier than ten years ago. And,
a third of us are obese, up from a fourth, just ten years
ago.
What’s happening? It all comes down to portion control,
and less physical activity. If one devils food cake cookie
is enough, you don’t have permission to have two, three or
four if they are no-fat! If you read the label, you might
find that the calories per serving are similar comparing the
fat or no-fat versions because the ingredient that replaces
the fat is a carbohydrate and full of calories.
Is our obsession with fat-free foods a surprise? Not
totally. When non-nutritive sweeteners like saccharine and
Nutra-Sweet or Equal came on the market, consumers binged on
them too. Instead of seeing pounds drop from regular users,
the pounds increased, slowly.
The ingredient designed to be a help to those who wanted
to enjoy sweet foods but couldn’t because of diabetes has
been used by others as a license to eat more. Many thought
they were trading-off more calories than they were. A
tablespoon of sugar has 45 calories (15 per teaspoon).
Portion control and recognizing the recommended serving
sizes is the key to getting our diets under control - not
fat-free or sugar-free products. I challenge you to measure
your portions to help you get in charge, rather than some
fat-free label screaming at you.
For example, how much liquid does your juice glass hold?
A serving of juice is 3/4 cup. Our “short-fat” juice glass
holds 12 ounces or 1½ cups - that’s two servings. How much
cereal does your cereal bowl hold? A serving is equal to one
ounce and the volume varies from cereal to cereal so read
the label. I know our cereal bowl holds 2 cups which is more
than two servings of most of our favorite cereals.
Servings, according to the Food Guide Pyramid, mean
portions needed for a healthy diet, not eating episodes.
When the food groups were designed years ago they were
designed to help us consume a variety of foods. The Food
Guide Pyramid also does that, but helps us not to overeat if
we follow the plan. Sticking to plain, simple foods, in
reasonable portions, is our best bet to get in control. The
more we rely on low-fat, non-fat and sugar-free foods to
help us maintain our weight or reach our diet goals, the
more likely we are to fail.
For more information on the Food Guide Pyramid - either the adult or kids version, check out the University of Missouri Extension publications MyPyramid: A Guide to Daily Food Choices or Food Guide Pyramid for Kids.
Last update: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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