Eat More Fat, Lose More Weight?

All your life you have been told fats are bad for you. They only lead to weight gain and cause unwanted health issues.

Books, dieticians and doctors have said fats are your enemy and the only way to lose and maintain a healthy weight is to cut them out completely.

On the contrary, fats have been part of the food pyramid and one of the building blocks to your health for years. When fat was labeled as something to avoid, you might have steered away from certain types of foods.

When this whole "fat is bad" trend began, diets started to emerge which focused on limiting your fat intake, and fat-free and low-fat foods began appearing in grocery stores.

However, recent findings are showing you not only need fats in your diet, but they are necessary for keeping your weight consistent.

A Journal of the American Medical Association study recently revealed that a "low fat" diet showed the greatest drop in energy expenditure and increased insulin resistance – which is a precursor to diabetes – compared with a low carbohydrate and low glycaemic index (GI) diet.

Medical Director of Northwestern Wellness Center, Larry Kaskel, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss the reasons why fat has been deemed evil, why you actually need fat in your diet, and ways to get good fats into your diet.