New report says we should 'eat fat to get thin'

LONDON -- A new report encouraging people to stop avoiding food with high saturated fat content, and to focus on "the consumption of food in its natural form" regardless of its saturated fat content has been labelled "irresponsible" by public health officials. 

Recent data from Public Health England suggests that 61.7% of adults in the UK are overweight or obese, with men more likely to be obese than women. And, a recent study by Imperial College London revealed that there are now more obese adults in the world than underweight adults. 

The report -- authored by non-profit organisations, the Public Health Collaboration and the National Obesity Forum -- calls for people to stop counting calories and to cut out refined carbohydrates and "low-fat" foods in order to "reverse obesity and type 2 diabetes". 

"The Public Health Collaboration suggests that the UK stops recommending the avoidance of foods because of saturated fat content in order to focus on the consumption of food in its natural form, however much saturated fat it contains," reads the report. 

The report states that "eating fat does not make you fat", "saturated fat does not cause heart disease" and that "full fat dairy is likely protective".

“The UK should avoid foods that have a high carbohydrate-density in order to focus on the consumption of foods and drinks that have carbohydrate-density of less than 25%, as they are usually found in their natural form,” the report continues.  

The report -- which cites studies by the University of Cambridge and the Harvard School of Public Health -- suggests eating "whole foods" including dairy, fish and meat, and high-fat healthy foods such as avocados. 

According to Samuel Feltham --  director of the Public Health Collaboration -- the report advises "getting back in touch with food, how nature intended, and embracing a complete healthy lifestyle through being active too”.

"Eat fat to get slim, don’t fear fat, fat is your friend. It’s now truly time to bring back the fat."

“The change in dietary advice to promote “low fat foods” in 1977 and 1983 in the USA and UK, respectively, is perhaps the biggest mistake in modern medical history resulting in devastatingconsequences for public health," Dr Aseem Malhotra, Senior Adviser to the National Obesity Forum said in a statement.  

"The current Eat Well guide from Public Health England is in my view more like a metabolic time bomb than adietary pattern conducive for good health. We must urgently change the message to the public toreverse obesity and type 2 diabetes," Malhotra continued. 

However, Public Health England -- the government agency responsible for national health and wellbeing -- has condemned the report, which contravenes existing government health advice. 

"In the face of all the evidence, calling for people to eat more fat, cut out carbs and ignore calories is irresponsible," Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said in a statement. 

"Unlike this opinion piece, our independent experts review all the available evidence -- often thousands of scientific papers -- run full-scale consultations and go to great lengths to ensure no bias."

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