Eat more fat, lose more weight

You've probably heard this. In order to lose weight successfully, you need to reduce your dietary fat intake. However, many people are confused about fats and their role in weight loss. For decades, we are told that fat is lethal, responsible for a full umbrella of health hazards from coronary heart disease to obesity to cancer. As a result, we become fat-phobia. Now, the million-dollar question is should we avoid fat like the plague?

Fats provide the body with energy, and pound per pound it contains more energy in the form of calories than protein and carbohydrates. But not all fats are created equal; some fats (good) promote our health positively while others (bad) increase our risks.

The “good” fats – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated – are excellent for promoting good health and disease prevention. These “good” fats may help lower your blood cholesterol level when you use them in place of saturated and trans fats; they can also help boost your metabolism, and by consuming adequate amounts, you can actually assist in weight loss.

“Good” fats include omega-3 fatty acids, found particularly in oily fish such as tuna, salmon, trout, sardines, herring and mackerel; and omega-6 fats found in nuts, seeds and liquid vegetable oils such as canola, olive, soybean, safflower and sunflower.

So, what's the role of fats in weight loss?

Research has shown that those who consumed an adequate amount of fats generally eat less than those are on fat-restrictive diets. Diets with less than 20 percent fat leave you hungry, unsatisfied, and you are more likely to overeat. Fat increases your sense of satiety, thus reducing appetite and lowering total food consumption. It slows down the emptying of the stomach so that you feel fuller for a longer period of time. Even though fat contains more calories than protein or carbohydrate, its effect on curbing appetite more than compensate for the extra calories it contains.