Fat Free is Not Always a Healthy Choice

For the last generation, American food distributors have marketed fat free alternatives as healthy options for consumers who were concerned about obesity. On the surface, this seems like a logical solution, but a closer examination of the product’s nutritional information will often reveal that fat free alternatives are not a good choice.

Many Americans who suffer from obesity also suffer from diabetes, so blood sugar is as much of a concern as fat intake. Many fat free products compensate for the missing ingredients by adding sugar which would be even worse for a diabetic then a high-fat product.

We should know better by now, but some consumers will treat a diet food as license to overeat. Because fat free foods are often less filling, there is an increased temptation to indulge. Diet foods are not a blank check to eat as much as you want. I recall my father eating a half a box of frozen chocolate bars thinking that he was okay because they were fat free.

A healthier choice would be to eat products as close as possible to their natural state, and to learn to be satisfied with less. As much as possible, avoid packaged products entirely. Nutrition experts offer this shorthand tip: Stay to the outside of the grocery store when you are shopping. That is where you will find the produce and meat and dairy products. The interior of the store has the packaged food that is loaded with high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Despite the outrageous claims of hucksters, there is no short cut to weight loss. The only proven method to losing weight is to increase exercise and decrease calorie intake.

Attempting to lose weight can be challenging and emotional. If you have tried and failed repeatedly, perhaps it is time for you to consider professional help. If you would like to determine whether you are a candidate for robotic bariatric surgery, contact us at Advanced Surgical and Weight Loss Institute, 375 Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, FL. Dr. Velarde has over ten years of experience in bariatric surgery, and he is fluent in both Spanish and English.