Fat Intake May No Longer be Limited in 2015

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release another set of Dietary Guidelines for Americans this year and with its debut, a few changes are apparently being implemented, starting off with the recommended daily fat intake.

NBC Bay Area reports that for the first time in 40 years, the USDA guidelines that sets America's dietary rules may not include a fat limitation at all. Many believe this action would greatly impact many families as this is where the standard for federal policies, programs and agencies are based on.

Lifting the limitations could also give people an idea that they can have all the types of fat that they want in any amount, laments Sharon Wegner, a nutritionist and chef based in San Jose. She adds that as the public does not understand what "good" or "bad" fats are, the chance of people consuming more "bad" fats is inevitable.

Good Housekeeping adds that its research institute director Jaclyn London thinks that glorifying or criticizing any nutrient, no matter how beneficial or dangerous it can be, will just lead people to overconsumption of that nutrient. She explains that if carbs are placed in a bad light, people might end up consuming more fats. She believes its better to concentrate on giving a limit than removing it all away.

However, not all nutrition experts think like Wegner or London. As reported on the Apex Tribune, some nutritionists are arguing that a perception change needs to be implemented fast, to stop the hatred towards fat, especially the good fat. A study promoting this idea has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, hence the drastic change in this year's dietary guidelines.

Dr. Darius Mozaffarian, dean at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston, explains in the paper that unlike bad fats and trans fats, these "good fats", which are commonly found in fish, can combat several diseases when complemented with fruits and vegetables.

Dr. Mozaffarian adds that a diet rich in fat can appease a person's desire to binge on unhealthy foods that contain refined sugar and starch.

The dean also stresses that while the current rule on fat intake tells people to consume about 20 percent to 35 percent, no information about fats nor a justification as to why it has been restricted as such is provided.

All speculations will be officially put to rest once the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is released this fall.