Fats

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			Sources People At Risk

	Computing the Fat Facts...Fast!
	Fats are a group of chemical compounds that contain fatty acids; Fat also flavors the foods we eat. When the body downloads energy (also known as calories), it stores it mostly in the form of Fat. Monitor Good Fats And Bad Fats Fats may be derived from 3 main sources: Animal products (most saturated Fats are animal-derived) Plants (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) Man-made through a process known as hydrogenation (turning liquid oils into solid Fats (known as Trans Fat)
	Scientists consider saturated Fats to be the most dangerous of the three Fats, because it can corrupt arteries in the form of cholesterol and lead to heart disease.However, if you eat unsaturated Fat, it may actually help power down your cholesterol levels and turn on energy levels. Trans fatty acids are found naturally in small quantities in some foods including beef, pork, lamb, butter, and milk, but most trans fatty acids in the diet come from hydrogenated foods. Trans Fats were developed during the backlash against saturated Fat. Back then, food manufacturers realized that Trans Fats lasted longer than butter without going rancid. Indeed, Trans Fats can be found in a laundry list of foods including:
	Vegetable shortening Cereals Granola bars Salad dressings Crackers Chips	Margarine Candies Cookies Snack foods Fried foods Baked goods Many processed foods
	If no Fat is consumed at all, the natural system for transporting vitamins through the body and regulating cholesterol levels can be short-circuited. Kind of like a computer virus that prevents programs from operating correctly. Fat also delivers energy. And, don't delete Fat in children's diets either, since Fat supplies them with linoleic acid, which hepls them grow properly.

		Sources: Get With the "Fat" Program
		According to the National Academy of Science, a group that helps screen dietary nutrition, people should restrict Fat calories to 30 percent of total daily calories. (A gram of Fat has 9 calories.) If people are active and/or follow a regular exercise program, they can consume more Fat since the body burns and converts it to usable energy. It is further recommended that less than 10% of total daily calories be from saturated Fat – keeping in mind that the percent of calories from saturated Fat is part of the percent of calories from total Fat.
	Reduce Fat Mega-Bites
	To lead a healthier, balanced lifestyle and keep the heart pumping, shut down or reduce "bad-Fat" foods from the diet. Start-up a plan that reduces bad Fat and processes good Fat in the diet by following these suggestions: Entrees – offer lean meats, fish, poultry as well as cooked dry beans, dry peas, and lentils. Choose entrees without added Fat and prepare entrees using no Fat/low Fat cooking methods (baking, broiling, boiling, etc. –not frying and/or sautéing). Sides – offer reduced Fat or nonfat salad dressings. Balance higher Fat foods with items lower in Fat (e.g. Serve Chicken Nuggets with baked potatoes or steamed fresh vegetables.) Grains – offer a selection of lower Fat grain products such as bagels, English muffins, or pita bread. Substitute high Fat spreads with jam, jelly or honey. Dairy – offer choices that are lower in Fat (e.g. lowfat and/or Fat-free milk)

		People at Risk: Bad Fat Crashes the Body's Systems
		Bad Fat will corrupt and shut down the body. How? Saturated Fats tend to raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease; eating too much of any Fat can lead to obesity, which carries with it a completely new set of problems. Like saturated or animal Fats, Trans Fats contribute to clogged arteries. Clogged arteries are a sign of heart disease; they increase the risk of both heart attack and stroke. Trans Fats raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol levels which contributes to the buildup of fatty plaque in arteries.

Sources:
USDA - Nutrient Data Lab (Sept. 1996)
USDA School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children
US Dept of health and Human Services, Guidelines for School health programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating, June 1996
CNN.com, Food Resource Planner
2004 President and Fellows of Harvard College.
AHA Science Advisory: Stanol/Sterol Ester-Containing Foods and Blood Cholesterol Levels, #71-0201 Circulation. 2001;103:1177
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, School Lunch Report, August 2004
WebMD Health
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
AHA Conference Proceedings: Summary of the Scientific Conference on Dietary Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Health, #71-0200 Circulation. 2001;103:1034-1039
Journal of Epidemiology (May, 1992)
The Vitamin and Nutrition Center, 2004