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F A T

What is fat?

Fats are a group of chemical compounds that contain fatty acids; fat is the part of food that carries its flavor, and when the body stores energy, it stores it mostly in the form of fat.

How much do nutritionists recommend I eat every day?

According to the National Academy of Science, you should restrict your fat calories to 30 percent of your total daily calories. (A gram of fat has 9 calories.) For the average woman, this means keeping fat consumption down to 60-75 grams daily; the average man should consume no more than 90 grams daily. If you exercise a lot, you can eat more; if you're trying to lose weight, you should eat less.

What happens if I eat too much?

Saturated fats tend to raise your blood cholesterol levels, increasing your risk of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease; eating too much of any fat can lead to obesity, which carries with it a completely new set of problems, including an increased risk of developing arthritis.

Should I cut fat out of my diet completely?

If you consume no fat at all, you will short-circuit your body's natural system for transporting vitamins through the body and regulating cholesterol levels. Fat also gives you energy. Children should not have the fat in their diets restricted, since fat supplies them with linoleic acid, which helps them grow properly.

Saturated vs. unsaturated fat

Fat may be derived from animal products (most saturated fats are animal-derived), or from plants (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated). Scientists consider saturated fats to be the most dangerous of the three, because of their close links to heart disease. Meanwhile, if you eat unsaturated fat when you eat fat at all, it may help lower your cholesterol levels.