| d="body"> | | | | receive from the advertising and marketing media is |
| Most people understand that it is wise to limit the | | | | that fat grams in and of themselves do not |
| amount of fat grams in their daily diet. The dietary | | | | necessarily “cause” weight gain. Rather, |
| reference intake amount for an adult ranges from | | | | fat grams contribute to the total caloric intake, and |
| 20% to 35%[i] of daily calories; or about 44 to 55 | | | | they should be counted alongside carbohydrates and |
| grams per day[1]. Since a single slice of pecan pie | | | | proteins. |
| carries with it 27 grams of fat, and a mere | | | | Adding an unnecessary layer of complexity here is |
| tablespoon of thousand island salad dressing contains | | | | that many “healthy foods”, such as |
| 8 grams of fat[ii], it is not surprising to see more and | | | | energy bars, contain an excessive amount of calories. |
| more people checking food labels and “passing | | | | A chocolate chip Energy Bar™, for example, |
| over” an order of onion rings[2] as they try to | | | | contains 230 calories; which is actually only 40 calories |
| lose, or maintain, inches and pounds. | | | | less than a Butterfinger™ candy bar[v]. |
| However, the relentless avoidance of fat – | | | | Unfortunately, because the Energy Bar contains 2 |
| even of healthy unsaturated fat – is creating a | | | | grams of fat and is therefore “low fat”, |
| troubling scenario for many individuals. Instead of | | | | some dieters eat several per day; and pack on 230 |
| losing weight when they go “fat free”, | | | | calories each time, despite the fact that virtually none |
| they are actually gaining weight. | | | | of those calories come from fat. It does not matter; |
| Many people on the road to weight loss forget | | | | the dieter will still gain weight if his or her daily caloric |
| – or simply do not know – that the | | | | intake threshold is surpassed. Dieters who expect |
| words “fat free” do not also mean | | | | yogurt-covered bars to be “healthier” |
| “calorie free”. As a result, many people | | | | are also misled; the yogurt-berry Balance BarÔ |
| ingest far too much “fat free” food, | | | | contains 200 calories per serving, despite the fact |
| believing that it will not add weight, since, alas, it is | | | | that only 25% of the calories come from its 6 grams |
| dubbed “fat free”. Yet it is the calories | | | | of fat. |
| in these fat-free foods that cause the weight gain; | | | | However, there are some responsible nutritional |
| not the fat grams themselves[iii]. | | | | supplement products on the market that are |
| A single gram of fat contain nine calories, which is | | | | engineered to be both low fat/fat-free and |
| more than double the amount of calories in a gram | | | | low-calorie. These foods are of benefit to dieters |
| protein or carbohydrate. Therefore, mathematically | | | | when they are losing weight, and also in the |
| speaking, an eater can consume twice as many | | | | vulnerable period after the weight has been lost. |
| protein or carbohydrate grams than fat grams, and | | | | Regrettably, many very well intentioned dieters who |
| achieve the same caloric intake. Since many high-fat | | | | have made tremendous strides and sacrifices to lose |
| foods contain an excessive amount of fat grams | | | | weight regain it within the first few |
| – such as onion rings – it has become a | | | | “post-diet” months. While a number of |
| staple of dieting wisdom to reduce fat intake and | | | | factors influence whether a dieter will regain weight, |
| avoid such oily, greasy foods[3]. | | | | including environment and genetics, one major culprit |
| Yet it bears repeating that the reason to avoid | | | | is that dieters are not provided with low-fat, |
| fat-rich foods is not because of the word | | | | low-calorie, and palatable food sources once they |
| “fat”; it is because each fat gram | | | | have achieved their weight loss goals. They |
| contains a scale-tipping 9 calories. In other words: the | | | | consequently return to previous eating habits, and |
| weight-conscious reason for avoiding excess fat | | | | the unwanted weight returns within weeks. |
| grams is because it leads to a higher caloric intake. | | | | However, as mentioned, there are intelligent |
| Dieters who neglect to realize this basic nutritional | | | | nutritional supplements on the market that do fill this |
| fact – that weight gain is about calories and | | | | void, and ethically serve dieters – and |
| not about fat grams themselves – fail to | | | | post-dieters – with foods that they need to |
| realize, and often at their eventual dismay, how the | | | | stay healthy, and fend off weight gain. For the sake |
| body actually gains and loses weight. | | | | of current and future dieters who are going to |
| The typical adult male American diet calls for 2000 | | | | struggle with misleading “fat free” |
| calories per day because this is how many calories | | | | marketing, it is hoped that such intelligent companies, |
| are collectively use and burned (i.e. converted into | | | | and their products, quickly become the norm of the |
| energy) by the body each day. As an example, an | | | | future, rather than the exception of today. |
| average male dieter who consumes 1800 calories a | | | | ABOUT PROTICA |
| day will “save” 200 calories per day. As | | | | Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research |
| there are 3,500 calories in a pound, the dieter in this | | | | firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, |
| scenario will “save” 3,600 calories over | | | | Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, |
| the course of 18 days (18 x 200 calories). This | | | | including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, |
| translates into a loss of one pound. Similarly, if this | | | | ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero |
| dieter consumes an excess 200 calories per day, a | | | | carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is |
| pound of weight will be gained in 18 days. | | | | available at |
| A dieter who is not aware of this mathematical | | | | You can also learn about Profect at |
| formula may indeed avoid fat altogether and | | | | Copyright - Protica Research - |
| consume, for example, 6 tablespoons of “fat | | | | [1] Fat grams contain 9 calories each. |
| free” caramel topping per day; believing that | | | | [2] 3 grams of fat per onion ring! |
| this is not a part of the weight gain equation, | | | | [3] As briefly noted above, many dieters fail to |
| because it is labeled as “fat free”. This is | | | | realize that there are healthy unsaturated fats that |
| not false advertising, as fat free caramel topping | | | | the body requires; the body cannot produce fat on |
| contains no fat grams. However, fat free caramel | | | | its own, it must receive it through diet. Yet even |
| topping delivers 103 calories per two tablespoon | | | | unsaturated fat grams contain 9 calories each, and so |
| serving[iv]. | | | | the understanding the fats should be severely limited |
| If this dieter is adhering to a diet regimen of 44 fat | | | | holds true. |
| grams per day -- and does not count calories -- then | | | | REFERENCES |
| he will simply not know that in these 6 mere | | | | [i] Source: “Unsaturated Fat”. |
| tablespoons are a substantial 309 calories; or 15% of | | | | [ |
| the total daily caloric intake for a 2000 calorie/day | | | | [ii] Source: “Fat Content of Foods”. |
| diet. | | | | Weight Control Infocenter. |
| In fact, a dieter could subsist entirely on “fat | | | | [iii] : “Watching Fat vs. Calories”. Good |
| free” foods, and easily exceed their target | | | | Housekeeping/iVillage. |
| daily caloric intake by their second meal of the day. | | | | [ |
| These excess calories are obviously not deriving | | | | =1&pba=adid=13272851 |
| from fat grams; but they are coming from another | | | | [iv] Source: “Fat Free vs. Regular Calorie |
| source, most probably carbohydrates. | | | | Comparison”. US Food and Drug Administration. |
| Again, the message here that many dieters do not | | | | |