Eat more fat, lose more weight: depriving yourself on lowfat diets? New research shows a moderate-fat diet could help you shed pounds permanently, feel full longer and avoid bingeing

Shape, August, 2002 by Mindy Hermann

After years of recommendations to limit fat intake to 30 percent of total daily calories, new research says it may be OK to be a little less strict. Certain high-fat foods not only are good for you, studies suggest, but may even help you lose weight and keep it off.

Studies presented last October at the American Dietetic Association's 2001 Food & Nutrition Conference & Exhibition in St. Louis offered surprising proof that increasing your fat intake a little -- to 30-35 percent of total calories -- doesn't have to mean bad news on the scale. By eating controlled portions of healthy fats like nuts, olive oil, avocados and salmon (see "The Healthy Way to Add Fats," page 166), plus lots of fiber-rich foods and lean protein, research shows you may find it easier to lose weight permanently, stay full longer and avoid the bingeing that packs on the pounds.

With our "5-Day Moderate-Fat Weight-Loss Meal Plan," scrumptious recipes (check out the Grilled Salmon With Fruit Salsa on page 170) and Fat-Savvy tips, you'll learn how to enjoy controlled portions of fatty foods like nuts and avocados, and feel so satisfied you'll shed pounds permanently -- and more deliciously than ever.

The great fat debate

Despite the new research, many nutrition experts still insist lowfat diets (containing 20-30 percent of calories from fat) are the best and healthiest way to lose weight. They argue there just isn't enough research yet to recommend the new moderate-fat diets.

Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of The Origin Diet (Henry Holt & Co., 2001) and a Shape contributing editor, fears that "allowing that bit of extra fat could open the fat floodgates. Americans don't know how to do anything in moderation," she says. "If told they can have some fat, they'll eat too much. And they'll add more oil and nuts on top of what they're already eating rather than cut back to make room for the additional fat calories," she says. "Women who follow the new moderate-fat diet could gain weight, not lose it,"

"Years of long-term studies show that a lowfat diet works best for weight control," agrees Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., coauthor with Robert A. Barnett of The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan: Feel Full on Fewer Calories (HarperCollins, 2000).

"For many people, higher-fat foods trigger overeating because they taste good," Rolls adds. "Getting rid of those temptations by following a lower-fat diet can be more successful."

Both Somer and Rolls advocate eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and high-fiber foods. "You get to eat a lot for the calories, in contrast to nuts, which are very calorie-dense," Rolls points out.

From demon to darling

How did fat go from something we should eat sparingly to a food we should eat more of to lose weight? The findings came as a bonus during studies on how foods high in monounsaturated fats, namely peanuts, affect blood cholesterol levels, explains Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University in State College.

According to Kris-Etherton, who conducted the research, not all fats are created equal when it comes to your health or ability to lose weight. "When you're losing weight, the type of fat doesn't matter. What does matter is the number of calories you consume" she says. "Some people can eat a higher-fat, low-calorie diet and lose weight vs. people who eat a lowfat diet with a lot of calories. When it comes to losing weight, controlling calories is the key."

In her study, people who ate a moderate-fat diet for eight weeks containing 35 percent calories from fat (mostly healthy, monounsaturated fat) lost the same amount of weight as those on a lowfat diet with only 20 percent calories from fat. "This shows that a calorie is a calorie -- you can lose weight on a lowfat diet or a higher-fat diet as long as your calories are controlled," Kris-Etherton says.

The link between fat and satiety

In another recent study, researchers discovered that eating more fat may also help you stick to your weight-management program. Kathy McManus, M.S., R.D., director of the department of nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, conducted a study in which half her subjects ate a lowfat diet providing 20 percent calories from fat and the other half ate a moderate-fat diet with 35 percent calories from fat. Women in both groups consumed 1,200 calories daily (men got 1,500), including 25 grams of fiber and 15-20 percent calories from protein. (Note: Shape does not recommend diets of less than 1,800 calories.)

Both groups were also allowed a set number of "fat exchanges" to spend on higher-fat foods. (The lowfat group was permitted five exchanges and the moderate-fat group was allowed nine, with one "fat exchange" equaling 1 ounce of avocado, 10 peanuts, 2 teaspoons peanut butter or 1 teaspoon oil). Fats rich in monounsaturated fatty acids were encouraged.

After six months, both groups had lost weight. But after 18 months, more people on the moderate-fat diet were still following their diet: 54 percent, compared to only 20 percent in the lowfat group. The moderate-fat group also did better at maintaining their weight loss, keeping off an average of 10 1/2 pounds after 18 months. The lowfat group, in contrast, had gained back most of their weight after 18 months, McManus says.