Study: Fat Intake Doesn't Affect Weight Gain

If you're looking to lose weight, the best way to do it is to cut out the fat in your diet, right? Wrong! According to a new study, a low-fat diet isn't likely to help you shrink your waistline.

Dr. Nita Forouhi and her collegues from the Institute of Metabolic Science at Addenbrooke's Hopsital in Cambridge, UK found that the percentage of calories a person gets from fat, as opposed to carbs or protein, has no bearing on their ability to lose or maintain weight. The type of fat consumed also doesn't seem to matter.

While we all know that high levels of saturated fat and trans fats can lead to coronary heart disease, but the role that fat plays in weight gain over time is more controversial.

Dr. Forouhi and her team of researchers studied 90,000 men and women from six different countries as a part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study. They followed up with participants for 10 years.

Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the research shows that although the average intake of fat was on the high end, the average weight gain was low.

Participants in the study consumed 31.5 to 36.5 percent of their total calories from fat each day, however the participants only gained about a quarter of a pound every year. Some people in the study did gain some weight, but there was no relationship between how much fat they ate and their weight gain.

While some may take the results of this study as an open invitation to down as much fatty food as desired, Forouhi warns that the results should not be misinterpreted. While fat may not affect weight gain, it does affect your heart. Too much fat in your diet can lead to coronary disease.

Forouhi says that the healthiest way to lose weight and keep it of is to limit total calorie intake, not just fat intake, and reducing the amount of sugar, junk food and alcohol. She also suggests watching portion sizes and exercising regularly.