It's ok to eat fat after all, says Michael Mosley

Bags you consistently said that fat is fine and it's good to see it being publicised now. I never buy marg/spreads, use goose and duck fat, butter and various oils, and now I'm wondering if things like pork dripping and lard will increase in popularity again. What's the thinking on these fats, given the advice we get about eating less of certain red meats?

The thinking, as I understand it, is that foods people have been eating for thousands of years, including genetically modified modern versions, are just fine.

Ta bags

"foods people have been eating for thousands of years"*Bags*? How long did they live then?

You can't compare past ages with the present. Too much is different. Lifestyle to start with.

You all seem to be very willing to follow the "experts". Even though they keep changing their minds.

#thinkforyourselves. #instinctisgood

What makes you think this lot of experts have got it right?

Or do you just want excuses to be fatties?

And fat doesn't' have to show on the outside. Think internal organs.

Jingl I do think for MiceElf. That's why I don't ever buy or eat 'shop' cakes or what my mother called 'dealt with by others' food.

And I don't snack. I think bags is right, the food that people (not the vey rich or those in poverty) have eaten for thousands of years is tried and tested and in fact tastes much better than any of the 'added value' products.

Are you qualified to put forward an expert opinion Bags or is this just your opinion? I don't mean that in any bad way, but there are people on this forum who might take your views as gospel and significantly increase their saturated fat intake.

As I understand it the jury is still out on the saturated fat question as several other scientists have questioned the validity of the most recent research due some errors.

Before anyone asks here is the report that questions the validity

Warning to all gransnetters reading my posts: do not take anything I say as gospel (not that the gospels are renowned for accuracy). That should cover all the H&S and liability wotsits. <dusts hands and goes to make cup of tea with full fat milk>

And some of the gospels are 'missing'

However, I do agree with you, thatbags, and think that a lot of reports and results of trials are 'tweaked' or even 'lost' to suit the food industry or government diktat.

www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jun/11/why-our-food-is-making-us-fat

Sorry, meant to say that this is interesting (above post) but hit the 'post' too soon; the cause of obesity is probably more due to high fructose corn syrup in processed foods than fat.
Added to which, many of us eat more and exercise less than our forebears did.

Fortunately one can usually find a review to suit one's liking.
Here is Dr Briffa, reviewing the reviews so we don't have to.
www.drbriffa.com/2014/03/21/yet-another-major-review-finds-no-reason-at-all-to-limit-saturated-fat-in-the-diet

Here is his conclusion:
"There is some variation in what the scientific literature appears to show in terms of the impact different dietary fats have on heart health. However, if I were to summarise what the evidence points to as a whole, I would say:

1. There appears to be no good evidence to fear fats found naturally in the food supply (including saturated fat)

2. Processed fats (e.g. industrially produced trans fats) should be avoided.

In other words, eat real, unprocessed food, and perhaps forget about the amount and types of fat in that food."

Seems sensible to me.

Now they have started worrying us about the amount of sugar in fruit and telling us to limit the amount of fruit we eat.
Whereas we should be worrying about the amount of sugars such as fructose in processed food; such foods may well include trans fats as well. We are getting information in 'sound bites' instead of being told the whole picture.

Unfortunately it seems a huge number of people do not eat real, unprocessed food and that is the message that needs to be got across.

Sorry, bags I unintentionally dropped you in it there. We all think for ourselves and weigh up information. As far as I am concerned, it's moderation in all things and don't rely on processed food when I can cook from scratch.

MicElf I do hope you find other ways to enjoy life. I do like the odd bit of Angel layer.

Whatever!

Oh I do Jingle. If you go to Soop's kitchen you'll see what I'm cooking tonight. Pity you can't join us

As I have commented before, Michael Pollen, an American food writer has come up with a simple saying that guides my eating habits 'Eat well, not too much, most of it plants'. There is a corollary to it: 'If its made from a plant eat it, if it is made in a plant don't.'

I find these two phrases mean that all these discussions on 'good' food, 'bad' food, fat v non-fat and all the rest of the things you should or should not eat kit and caboodle can be completely and satisfactorily ignored.

Sugars in fruit?? I've just made a rather lovely fresh fruit salad, in sugar syrup. I was so looking forward to a bowl, with cream, I'm going off the idea now. I wish I hadn't read all these posts. My Granny always said that a woman of a certain age needs a bit of weight about her, so maybe I will have that bowl of fruit salad after all.

Don't take any notice, hilda, I posted that they are telling us not to eat so much fruit because of the sugar content.
I don't usually listen to them
They will be backtracking in a couple of years' time. Eat it and enjoy it (not too much sugar, I hope!!)

Having lost and kept off a stone and a half painlessly on the 5.2 diet Michael Mosley is my hero!

I think this link explains perfectly why some fats are healthy and some are not. vimeo.com/5753057

I found two days with hardly any calories painful!

I've lost quite a few pounds since the weather became so hot but it's just resulted in more flab. Not helped by the fact that my gym has closed down so I can't use the toning machines they had. Not sure what to do although I am doing what excercise I can at home using weights etc. My exercise bike tends to hurt my knees and I can't use my daughters cross trainer for that reason.