Fats in the American Diet Essay

Today, more people suffer from weight and health problems than people from twenty years ago. You may ask why is that, and what is the difference between us today and the people of the last generation? Well, one main difference is the high-fat and low fat foods that we eat. High-fat and low-fat diets can be the cause of half our problems. People today; choose some sort of diet to help their weight problems. But many people do not know what the bad intake of some foods can do to you.

One of the most unhealthy diets in the world is that of an American. It is made up of processed foods and a good amount of television. America easily has the most fast food restaurants in the entire world. Leave it to McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King or any other fast-food restaurant to serve extremely cheap and even unhealthier food at any time during the day or night. ”It tastes good so why not?” That seems to be the question many people are asking now-a-days. Because it is so easily accessible and processed, it is made to be very tasty and extremely unhealthy. Many Americans find his or herself indulging on the these fatty foods of America on a day-to-day basis. While it may taste good at the time, it has a terrible effect on your body

The process of creating trans fat originated from the 1890s in France when chemist Paul Sabatier discovered that metal catalysts could precipitate hydrogenic reactions. This led to German chemist Wilhelm Normanns’ 1901 experimentation with hydrogenation catalysts that successfully led to the hydrogenation of liquid fat which produced semi solid fat that is now known as trans-fat. This process was adopted by many food manufacturers because of its ability to stabilize the shelf life of products it is in. With the production and use of trans fat comes some serious health risks. In the 1950s it was found that there is a clear connection between the intake of saturated fats and heart disease. After this was found there was some opposing studies that proved fats were healthy. By the 1980s it was established that a high intake of saturated fat led to a higher risk for heart problems. Because of this trans fats were used to replace saturated fats, but it was later found that trans fat held a higher risk for heart problems than saturated fats did (“Trans Fat”). Once people discovered this, a demand for healthy alternatives began and is still prevalent today.

Reduce consumption of calories from solid fats in the population and how to pick a healthy diet.

A way to provoke change in our nation is to encourage eating balanced diets. Humans are heterotrophic, meaning they receive energy from food; Therefore, it is extremely important to eat a balanced diet so that energy humans receive is fully capable of fueling the body. Also, balanced diets are not only key to having plenty of energy, but also have additional health benefits. For example, vegetable are good sources of vitamins and minerals and fruits are nutritious sources of vitamins and fibers.”In 1992, the USDA decided to display its nutrition guidelines in the form of a pyramid. The shape of the original pyramid, which had six food groups, was ideal for showing the proportions of servings needed from each group to create a balanced diet. For instance, grains, which we need most, were at the base, while sweets and fats, which we should only occasionally snack on, were at the top.” (brainpop.com) Accordingly, there are United States Department of Agriculture approved guideline as to how to consume a nutritious diet. In addition to balanced diets, another way to be of aid in bringing the long lasting obesity epidemic in America to an end is exercising. Consequently, exercise has a direct correlation with weight loss. Exercising on a regular schedule can build up muscle and get rid of excess body

Sugar, the thing all of us crave. It gives you that calling, the one where it is telling you to come and munch on the mouthwatering treats. We are all in some way addicted to the thing we hate so much but somehow ignore the negatives for the love that is left on your taste buds to devour. Because sugar intake has skyrocketed, the United States health risks are not too far behind.

Every 5 years since 1980 the US government has put out dietary guidelines for which all Americans would benefit from if they wanted to lead a healthy life and lifestyle. We live in a modern age where most diseases have been thoroughly researched and in a lot of cases have been cured, managed or learned how to be prevented all together. This is where the dietary guidelines come in, they were created to be viable to follow for 95% of the healthy American population. By following the dietary guidelines not only will we live a healthier life and feel better but we’ll be preventing some of the more serious health problems, like CVD and stroke which are some of the leading causes of American deaths.

Saturated fats are most commonly found in meats, Haigh fat dairy products, and some plant based oils. While the majority of these items can be good for you, over consumption can increase your risk factors for chronic illness. Choose to eat all of these items in moderation to help reduce your risk factors. Even the healthiest of foods can fall into the category or of unhealthy if they are consumed in high quantities.

A Guide to Fats and Oils: Again with information on what is good and what to avoid.

In the early 1900s, dietary fat was viewed simply as a source of calories, interchangeable with carbohydrates. But in 1929 and 1930, George and Mildred Burr discovered that fatty acids were critical to health through punctilious analyses of rats fed special diets. If fatty acids were missing in the diet, a deficiency syndrome ensued and often led to death (Asbmb.org. 2016). Fatty acids rarely occur as free molecules in nature but are usually found as components of many complex lipid molecules such as fats and phospholipids. Biological fatty acids are composed only of hydrocarbon chain which is carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the proportion of 76%, 12.6% and 11.3% respectively with one terminal carboxyl group (COOH). Fatty acids are aliphatic

In recent years, experts in the health and wellness community have debunked the old line of thinking that fats are hazardous to health. With this news, one type of fat has been recognized as being most essential to human health: omega-3 fatty acids. These good-for-you fats provide an abundance of health benefits, but the body cannot make them.

The increasing rate of obesity is due to the poor dietary habits of American. These habits include eating sugary cereal, which is low in nutritional value, instead of eating a salad, which is high in nutritional value. There are still some who believe that the increase in obesity is due to the rapid rise of fast-food consumption, but research has shown that this is not the case. The University of North

Fat was viewed as the original epitome of evil when it came to health issues. However, as of recently, the tides may have changed and redirected towards sugar. The American diet has been reducing fat but sugar-related issues like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease has continued to plague Americans. Some scientists put the blame on sugar and the increasing sugar content in all the foods that are being consumed. Still, it is hard to prove this and studies are tackling the issue. However, studies and journals are being published to analyze the difference in health when we replace sugar with starch and the possible patterns that will be revealed.

Diseases like diabetes and heart attacks have increased due to the over consumption of processed fats and animal products. The average American consumes more than enough protein and not enough essential fatty acids to balance

A molecule of dietary fat typically consists of several fatty acids (containing long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms), bonded to a glycerol. They are typically found as triglycerides (three fatty acids attached to one glycerol backbone). Fats may be classified as saturated or unsaturateddepending on the detailed structure of the fatty acids involved. Saturated fats have all of the carbon atoms in their fatty acid chains bonded to hydrogen atoms, whereas unsaturated fats have some of these carbon atoms double-bonded, so their molecules have relatively fewer hydrogen atoms than a saturated fatty acid of the same length. Unsaturated fats may be further classified as monounsaturated (one double-bond) or polyunsaturated (many double-bonds). Furthermore, depending on the location of the double-bond in the fatty acid chain, unsaturated fatty acids are classified as omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids. Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat with trans-isomer bonds; these are rare in nature and in foods from natural sources; they are typically created