A substantial decline in the percentage of fat consumption during the last two decades has corresponded with a massive increase in obesity

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Obesity Reviews 2002 May;3(2):59-68 and a recipe for chicken fajitas.

Study title and author:
Dietary fat plays a major role in obesity: no.
Willett WC.
Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. WWillett@hsph.harvard.edu

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12120421

Books:

Does decreasing fat intake lead to a reduction in weight? In an analysis of short-term trials, it was estimated that a decrease in 10% of energy from fat would reduce weight by 16g a day, which would correspond to a 9-kg weight loss by 18 months.

However, compensatory mechanisms appear to operate because in trials lasting one year or longer, fat consumption within the range of 18-40% of energy has consistently had little, if any, effect on body fatness.

Moreover, within the United States, a substantial decline in the percentage of energy from fat during the last two decades has corresponded with a massive increase in obesity, and similar trends are occurring in other affluent countries.

Diets high in fat do not account for the high prevalence of excess body fat in Western countries; reductions in the percentage of energy from fat will have no important benefits and could further exacerbate this problem.

Willett concludes: The emphasis on total fat reduction has been a serious distraction in efforts to control obesity and improve health in general.

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Recipe of the day

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

•3 lbs chicken breast, cut in thin strips;

Food Mall: Chicken Breasts

•3 bell peppers;

•3 onions, sliced;
•2 tbsp oregano, chili powder, cumin and coriander;
•6 chopped garlic cloves;
•Juice of 5 lemons;
•4 tbsp cooking fat (coconut oil, tallow or ghee are excellent here);
•Butter lettuce to serve;
•You choice of toppings: diced tomatoes, fermented pickles, sauerkraut, sliced avocados, salsa, guacamole, mayonnaise and/or salsa verde;

Preparation:
1.Combine the chicken, bell peppers, onions, spices, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well;

2.If preparing ahead of time, let marinate in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.

3.When ready to cook, heat a large skillet on medium heat and cook the whole preparation with the cooking fat until the chicken is cooked through and the onion and bell pepper are soft.

4.Put the hot chicken preparation in a large bowl and let the people prepare their own fajitas on top of lettuce leaves with their favorite toppings.

Chicken Fajitas