Fat 101: Practical Tips to Improve Dietary Fat Choices and Boost Metabolic Health
Over the past century, there has been a dramatic shift in the types of fats consumed in the typical Western diet. Traditional diets, which contained saturated fats from animal sources, have given way to diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly those derived from vegetable oils. This shift was largely driven by the belief that saturated fats were harmful to cardiovascular health, a notion that has been increasingly challenged and debunked in recent years. The impact of this dietary change has been profound. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), life expectancy in the United States declined for the third consecutive year in 2022, a trend not seen since World War I. Simultaneously, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer continue to rise, with the CDC reporting that 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease, and 4 in 10 have two or more. Obesity rates have also skyrocketed. The National Health and N...