Low-fat dieting has become a national obsession and has given rise to whole new lines of low-fat or nonfat products. But sometimes adding fats to your diet will help you lose weight-if they're the right fats. Certain fats, particularly the essential fatty acids, are vital for the healthy functioning of our bodies (including the maintenance of proper body weight), while hydrogenated fats like margarine may actually contribute to your difficulties with losing weight.

The relationship of dietary fat to body fat is grossly misunderstood.

Low-fat and non fat food products are marketed to individuals who are health and weight conscious. Ironically, manufacturers often add a variety of unhealthy and artificial ingredients to these foods. These fat-mimickers do not occur naturally and they cannot be metabolized by our bodies.

They stay in our systems, thick, gooey and paste-like. Low-fat foods often lack flavor. To make them more palatable, some manufacturers load them up with extra sugar, which boosts the product's calorie content while still maintaining a reduced fat content. Please check the calorie content will opting for a low fat snack.

Based on this fad someone even quoted that

"Cigarette sales would drop to zero overnight if the warning said "CIGARETTES CONTAIN FAT.""

FATS what are they?

Fat or oil (lipid) is one of the six basic food groups. Fats and oils are made of building blocks called fatty acids , which are a chain of carbon atoms with a certain quantity of hydrogen atoms attached; the more hydrogen atoms attached, the more saturated" the fat. Fats come in three natural forms (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated) and one synthetic form (called hydrogenated or trans fats).

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are primarily found in animal foods and tropical oils, such as coconut and palm oils. A fatty acid that has its fully saturated with hydrogen atoms is a saturated fatty acid. Body produces saturated fat from sugar, which is one reason why low-fat foods do not decrease body fat - their high sugar content is converted into stored fat in the body. Although high fat intake from animal sources has been associated with heart disease, some amount of saturated fat in the diet is necessary to help the body's cells remain healthy and resistant to disease.

Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fatty acids (both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are liquid at room unsaturated. Unsaturated means some of the carbon molecules are not filled with hydrogen.

Monounsaturated Fats (MUFA)

When the Carbon in the fatty acids chain has only two hydrogen atoms ,it is a monounsaturated fatty acid. Monounsaturated fats are considered healthier than polyunsaturated fats because of their ability to lower blood levels of "bad" cholesterol and maintain or raise levels of "good" cholesterol. Canola oil and olive oil are naturally high in monounsaturated fats.

Olive oil is the best oil for cooking, because it does not break down easily into singlet oxygen molecules (free radicals) like most oils do when they are heated. Olive oil is probably the most widely used oil, both for cooking and raw on foods, on a world wide basis. Sesame seed, Groundnut are also good choices too which blend well with Indian crusines.

Polyunsaturated fats

Oils high in polyunsaturated fats include flaxseed and canola oils, as well as corn, sunflower and soybeans, which contain omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, A carbon in a fatty acid has one or no hydrogen atoms is polyunsaturated fatty acid. They can be found in both healthy and unhealthy fats and oils.

Hydrogenated and Trans Fats

These terms refer to a synthetic process in which natural oils are broken down into a semi-solid fat by adding a hydrogen atom to an unsaturated fat molecule. This process is widely used to prolong the shelf life of commercial baked goods, packaged foods, most salad oils and dressings, margarine and cooking oils. The molecules that makeup these fats, called trans-fatty acids, are known to interfere with the healthy functioning of our bodies due to their unusual molecular shape.

In order to stay slim, people reject butter and cream in favor of margarine and other hydrogenated fats (also called trans-fatty acids) create havoc in a person's bio-chemistry, negatively effecting every system of the body.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Unsaturated fats required in the diet are called essential fatty acids. Omega-3 and omega-6 oils are the two principle types of EFAs and a balance of these oils in the diet is necessary for good health. The primary omega-3 oil is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Found in flaxseed and canola oils, as well as pumpkin seeds, walnuts and soybeans. Fish oils, such as salmon, cod, and mackerel, contain the other important omega-3 oils, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoci acid). Linoleic acid is the main omega-6 oil and is found in most vegetable oils, including safflower, corn, peanut, and sesame. The most therapeutic form of omega-6 oil is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), found in evening primrose, black currant, and borage oils. Once in the body omega-3 and omega-6 are converted to prostaglandins, hormone-like complex fatty acids that affect smooth muscle function, inflammatory, processes, and constriction and dilation of blood vessels No discussion on Fat is complete without a mention a cholesterol, as we are asked to regularly monitor it and it is also considered hazardous to our heart. What exactly is this?

Cholesterol is a steroid found in meat, egg yolks, and dairy products. In addition to obtaining cholesterol from these dietary sources, we manufacture cholesterol in the liver (about 3,000 mg per day).
Despite its bad image, cholesterol is needed by the body to maintain and repair cells. When cholesterol levels get too low, depression, lung disease, and even cancer can result. There are two types of cholesterol. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) circulate in the blood and act as the primary carriers of cholesterol to the cells of the body. An elevated level of LDLs, often called "Bad" cholesterol, contributes to atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque deposits on the inner walls of the arteries. A diet high in saturated fats can increase levels of LDLs in the blood. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) readily absorb cholesterol and related compounds in the blood and transport them to the liver for elimination. HDLS, or "good" cholesterol from plaque deposits on the artery walls, thus helping to reverse the process of atherosclerosis. A higher amount of HDL compared to LDL cholesterol in the blood is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Armed with this information let us make healthy choices. Though all of them are termed as Fat, We now know that they are not the same, some good some bad and a few ugly.