Reduced-fat foods make you fatter
Fat is absolutely essential for good health. Virtually every pathway in your body needs fat to operate correctly, and when you start cutting natural fats out of your diet your health suffers. Early indications of insufficient fat in your diet include:
- Unnecessary hunger.
- Being overweight.
- Digestive problems, and in particular, insufficient absorbsorbtion of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.
- A variety of psychological problems, in particular anger and feelings of stress.
The feel-full hormone
When oils reach your small intestine, they trigger the production of oleoylethanolamide (OEA), a fatty hormone (1). OEA sends a hunger-curbing message to your brain - "Hey, you've had enough. Stop eating." Remember that the process takes at least twenty minutes. That's a good reason to have a starter before a meal, and to eat meals slowly.
Natural fats are in foods for a good reason
Fats are necessary for digestion (2). If the fats in foods have been removed, they become difficult-to-digest, and in particular it is difficult to absorb fat-soluble minerals and vitamins such as A and D. Your body will still be hungry for the nutrients it is not getting, and you will be passing poorly digested food down to your colon.
References
1. The lipid messenger OEA links dietary fat intake to satiety. Schwartz, G. J. et al., Cell Metabolism 2008 Oct;8(4):281-288.
2. Know your fats. Mary G. Enig. Bethesda Press 2000.