Abstract
Despite recent relaxation of restrictions on dietary fat consumption in dietary guidelines, there remains a collective “fear of fat”. This study examined college students’ perceptions of health among foods with no fat relative to foods with different types of fats (unsaturated and saturated). Utilizing a multisite approach, this study collected data from college students at six university dining halls throughout the United States. Data were available on 533 students. Participants were 52% male and consisted largely of first-year students (43%). Across three meal types, the no-fat preparation option was chosen 73% of the time, the unsaturated fat option was selected 23% of the time, and the saturated fat option was chosen 4% of the time. Students chose the no-fat option for all meal types 44% of the time. Findings suggest that college students lack knowledge regarding the vital role played by the type and amount of fats within a healthy diet. Nutrition education and food system reforms are needed to help consumers understand that type of fat is more important than total amount of fat. Efforts across various sectors can encourage incorporating, rather than avoiding, fats within healthy dietary patterns.
Highlights
Dietary fat intake is an essential facet of a healthy diet for cell functioning and for facilitating the utilization of fat-soluble vitamins and the bioavailability of carotenoids [1,2]
The final marginal association we found was that non-students were more likely than first years to choose the unsaturated fat option for the salad dish OR = 2.54 (CI 95% = 1.02–6.79) (Figure 2D)
College students perceived that non-fat options of three different meal types were healthier compared to an unsaturated fat option and a saturated fat option
Summary
Dietary fat intake is an essential facet of a healthy diet for cell functioning and for facilitating the utilization of fat-soluble vitamins and the bioavailability of carotenoids [1,2]. It contributes to the texture, flavor, and palatability of foods and may increase satiety as fats can take longer to digest compared with other macronutrients [3,4]. Nutritional guidelines on dietary fats have changed in recent decades [5]. Food manufacturers heavily marketed low-fat items such as low-fat snacks and breakfast cereals. These low-fat products had calorie levels per serving that were similar to the higher-fat alternatives, but were higher in added sugars and refined grains [7].
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