Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Winter 2005)

In today’s fat-conscious society, it’s easy to assume all fats are alike – and that all of them are bad for you.

But that’s one big fat lie.

Fat isn’t all bad. Our bodies need it to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat also plays a role in bodily functions like regulating our immune system. But as we all know, eating too much of a good thing can rack up the calories and, well, make us fat. And to make matters worse, eating the “bad” type of fat can leave us with clogged arteries.

Confused about the different fats? You’re not alone. Starting Jan. 1, figuring out the types of fat in food products you buy will be easier because of new nutrition label information required by the federal government.

For years, we’ve heard that olive oil is good and butter, which contains saturated fat, is bad. Nutrition labels list the total fat content (in grams) as well as saturated fat.

But a stealth fat has been lurking in cookies, crackers and other processed foods. Hidden are the trans fatty acids — or trans fats — and, until recently, you haven’t seen them on food packaging. Seeing “partially hydrogenated oil” listed as an ingredient has been the only clue to their presence. But come the first of the year, that will change. Food manufacturers will be required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to list the grams of trans fats, in addition to saturated fat.

“The culprits are processed, baked and fast foods,” says Dianne Moeller, registered dietitian at the Health District. “In addition to containing trans fats, these foods are sources of lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates, which add to people consuming too many calories, and ultimately gaining weight.”

What are trans fats?

Trans fats are created when liquid vegetable oils are combined with hydrogen to make fats solid. The process, called partial hydrogenation, turns oil into shortening and margarine. Partially hydrogenated fats were introduced in the 1960s as a substitute for saturated fats, such as butter and lard used in baking and frying, and to give those items a longer shelf life.

But nutrition experts have known for years that trans fats, too, can raise cholesterol levels. Like saturated fats, trans fats raise bad (LDL) cholesterol. But trans fats go one step further: they lower the good (HDL) cholesterol that cleanses arteries.

What all that means is eating large amounts of trans fats increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke, and is thought to play a role in the development of cancer.

Trans fats can be found in french fries, pastries, chips and even some nondairy creamer. With the Jan. 1, 2006, deadline approaching, food manufacturers have been busy trying to find ways to make food with no trans fats without sacrificing texture or taste. One example is trans fat-free margarines. Products that don’t — or never did — contain trans fats are already boasting so on wrappers and cartons. Pie shells and pot pies, known to be chock-full of trans fats, have been among the holdouts to the Jan. 1 full disclosure deadline.

If no trans fats, then what?

“A lot of manufacturers have gotten rid of the trans fats in their products by switching to healthier fats,” Moeller says.

Unsaturated fats are better for us, and include monounsaturated and omega 3’s and some polyunsaturated. See chart above for examples and comparisons of fats.

Listing trans fats on food labels is welcomed and should help consumers make better choices in what they eat, Moeller says. “We have a right to know what’s in our food,” she says.

But even labels can be misleading if you aren’t careful. Manufacturers are required to list trans fats if they amount to 0.5 grams or more per serving. A problem can occur when you use more than the serving size listed. Let’s say a serving size is a teaspoon and contains 0.4g trans fats — which by law can be listed as containing 0g. But, if you use a tablespoon, it would contain 1.2g trans fats, (0.4g x 3 teaspoons = 1.2g per tablespoon) not the 0g listed on the label.

With fast food, restaurants usually don’t post fat content directly on the packaging: A medium-sized (4 oz.) serving of McDonald’s french fries has 4g of trans fats, 350 calories and 16g of total fat.

Cutting down on trans fats when you bake quick breads or cakes is often possible by substituting with healthier fats or fruit purees, Moeller suggests. Instead of using melted regular margarine in recipes, consider canola oil or light olive oil. Applesauce or other fruit puree can often take the place of butter or shortening.

When eating bread, instead of using regular margarine as a spread, try nut butters, made of peanuts, almonds or soy nuts, for example, or brush on a little olive oil, Moeller says.

Alternatives to pie crust include using phyllo or making a one-crust pie that uses crumbled nuts or streusel as a topping in place of a second layer of crust, she says.

Cutting the amount of trans fats in your diet isn’t hard if you read food labels before you buy, use “good” fats when you cook and choose to eat fewer processed foods in general.

Rather than aiming to rid your diet of all fats, Moeller suggests, focus on eating the healthiest ones, in moderation, of course.

“It’s not about low fat,” she says. “It’s about right fat.”

“If you focus on eating whole foods (fruits, vegetables, beans and grains) and not processed foods, you’re going to have fewer trans fats in your diet.”