"6 grams of fat or less"

[yungahdubz]

Just saw that on a drinks cup.

Why is it that loads of products advertise low fat as being a pro of their product?

I'm confused, i thought a high fat diet, along with protein and few carbs is the best way of losing fat.

Am i just being silly, or are the media exploiting people's ignorance/ lack of knowledge in this area as a way to flog products.

 

[The Bat]

It's easy to sell products to your average American (who is not in good shape and is usually overweight) by labeling things as "low fat". If you didn't know any better, wouldn't you believe it too?

 

[Warboss Alex]

the low fat diet has been en vogue so long that it's still generally accepted as the 'healthy' diet. so yes, it's an advertising thing, mostly.

mind you, for the average overweight american (or brit for that matter, they're not much better over here), buying lowfat products such as lower fat cheeses and meats wouldn't be such a bad thing as they're generally low(er) calorie while still being fairly nutritious - portion/calorie control is just as much of a problem as crappy food intake.

truly problematic 'lowfat' products are processed junk like slim fast which is mostly sugar, or otherwise nutritious foodstuffs where the fat has been replaced with sugar or other carby 'filler'.

 

[Throttle]

are the media exploiting people's ignorance/ lack of knowledge in this area as a way to flog products.

yes. or more precisely, advertisers & the packaged food [sic] industry.

real food is found in the produce section, fresh meat chiller, dairy case (everything except the milk--how's that for irony?), and some limited parts of the freezer section. the vast rows that make up the bulk of a modern grocery store are a marketer's dream, b/c all the non-food there just screams out for marketing "ingenuity" to convince us that we need any of it.

even if everyone were to get a clue about the realities of a healthy diet, the advertising money would follow, and would undoubtedly offer an "easier, more convenient" way to eat health.

here's easy & convenient using REAL food:

Salad: take a large knife, cut the bottom of a head of romaine. tear up a handful of leaves. add salt & pepper, olive oil if necessary. (can't shake the soybean-based dressing habit? try oil + freshly squeezed lemon, balsamic vinegar, or make your own vinaigrette with any oil + vinegar)

Meat: gently salt the outside (skip this if it's pre-salted pork product), place in a hot fry pan with a little olive or peanut oil (peanut oil if you're planning on heating it way up). pull out of heat, let rest for five minutes, grind pepper over it (pepper burns easily). if you missed and the inside is raw, put a little water in the pan, cover, and braise for a few more minutes (but there goes your nice crispy exterior, oh well!)

Veggies: heat a bit of oil or butter in a small saucepan. take ends off fresh vegetables & put in saucepan along with a tiny bit of water, or simply dump part of a bag of frozen veggies into the saucepan (no extra water necessary). add lid, turn up to high, serve when steamed to your desired temperature. stir occasionally if it's broccoli or cauliflower. add salt & pepper at the end.

Fruit: eat a piece. or a bowl. especially of berries.

Eggs: heat in pan with a bit of butter. stir in a bit of cream & keep stirring gently. add salt & pepper at the end.

Oh--and spend $10-20 right now on a good pepper grinder (look for a ceramic grinding mechanism). Spread it on everything except sweet stuff (unless you like black pepper on your blueberries.....) You'll never want to use sneeze powder (pre-ground black pepper) again.