The unique merits of a low-fat diet for weight control

Abstract

The virtual freedom from obesity enjoyed by many primitive societies may be traceable to the low fat content of their traditional diets. Recent studies indicate that humans have a very limited capacity for de novo lipogenesis from dietary carbohydrate; this implies that it should be easy to achieve negative fat balance if dietary fat intake is kept low and fat oxidation is promoted by regular exercise. Overfeeding with carbohydrate — but not with fat — provokes an insulin-mediated thermogenesis which acts to retard weight gain. Low-fat starchy foods have a relatively low caloric density, resulting in lower caloric consumption with meals. Once absorbed, carbohydrate has greater satiety value than fat. These considerations suggest that avoidance of dietary fat may be a more successful approach to weight control than “calorie counting”. The efficacy of low-fat diets may be promoted by supplementary carnitine, which stimulates fat oxidation, and by chromium, which aids insulin-mediated thermogenesis. An unrefined low-fat diet, eaten to satiety and accompanied by regular exercise, may be the ideal means of maintaining a trim figure throughout life while minimizing one's risk for “Western” degenerative diseases.