Fat

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Fat is an essential part of the diet, but lots of people eat more fat than they need or is good for them.

In particular, saturated fats are dangerous because they raise 'bad' cholesterol and can block up the arteries to the heart.

Having too much harmful cholesterol in the blood increase the risk of coronary heart disease - the biggest killer in the UK.

The Food Standards Agency hopes to cut everyone's saturated fat intake by 20%.

This could prevent up to 3,500 premature deaths a year, says the government watchdog.

What is 'good' and 'bad' fat?

We all need to eat fat as part of a healthy diet. 'Good' fats include omega-3 fatty acids, found particularly in oily fish such as herring, mackerel, sardines, tuna, salmon and swordfish; and omega-6 fats found in olives, nuts, seeds and seed oils, and many vegetables and grains.

These help keep our arteries healthy and raise levels of beneficial HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

'Bad' fats are saturated fats - hard fats found mainly in animal products such as red meat, butter and full-fat cheeses; and 'trans-fats' (fats that have been solidified by the process of hydrogenation) found in processed foods such as many margarines, biscuits, cakes and pies.

These raise blood levels of harmful LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

How much is too much?

For adults no more than 11% of our energy should come from saturated fat, which means that the average man should have no more than 30g a day and the average woman no more than 20g a day. RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS No more than 11% of our energy should come from saturated fatMen should eat no more than 95g of fat per day and only 30g or less should be saturated fatWomen, and children aged 5-10, should eat no more than 70g of fat per day and only 20g or less of this should be saturated fat

Similarly, children aged 5-10 should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat per day.

There is no maximum recommended level for infants - they naturally need more fat in their diet than adults because they are growing. But children aged two and above can be given semi-skimmed or 1% fat milk rather than full-fat, according to the FSA's head of nutrition Rosemary Hignett.

She says people are getting an average of 13.3% of their energy from saturated fat, which is too much.

High fat foods contain more than 20g of fat per 100g. Low fat foods contain 3g of fat or less per 100g.

Foods are high in saturated fat if they contain more than 5g of saturates per 100g. Foods containing 1.5g or less per 100g are said to be low in saturated fat.

What harm can too much fat do?

High levels of fat in the diet can lead to obesity, which carries its own health risks. But high levels of saturated fat in the diet is a known risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases, such as coronary heart disease, heart attacks, angina and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the UK and in 2006 was responsible for around one in three premature deaths.

Why are we eating too much?

Research suggests although the public largely recognises that saturated fat is harmful, saturated fat intake is not really monitored and consumers are not always clear on where saturated fat comes from in their diet.

And there is little distinction between fat and saturated fat in people's minds when talking about fat in the diet.

Lisa Miles, an advisor for the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Saturated fat is not necessarily the first thing people think about when they look at their diet. They tend to think about calories and obesity. So it is is important to educate people about the different types of fat and the health consequences of eating too much saturated fat."

She said part of the problem was the wide availability of foods high in saturated fat, although things are improving on that front.

"The industry is doing a lot to reformulate foods so they are lower in saturated fat. And consumers are opting for lower fat products. A decade ago people drank whole milk. Now people opt for semi-skimmed.

"Contrary to general belief, our energy intakes have decreased over recent decades and we are now more likely to go to the gym even though our jobs are more sedentary."

Household purchase data shows that between 1975 and 2000, total fat and saturated fat intakes were decreasing. Major changes in the meat and dairy industries were responsible for substantial reductions in saturated fat intake in the UK - it fell from 46.8g/d to 29.2g/d over a period of 20 years (1980-2000).

But intakes have changed relatively little since. Ms Miles said: "We are now in a position where our average total fat intakes meet recommendations, but our average saturated fat intakes do not."

How can I cut down on 'bad' fat?

Reduce the amount of fat you eat and watch the types of fat you consume.

Small changes can make a big difference. For example, grilled chicken breast without skin contains a third less saturated fat than with skin. Choose meat with less white fat on it. COMMON FATTY FOODS IN UK DIETS Dairy productsMeat and meat products, like piesFat spreadsBiscuits, buns and cakesChocolate confectioneryCrisps and similar snacks

See how much oil you are actually adding to your food use a spray or measure out oil with a teaspoon instead of pouring it straight from the bottle.

Replace saturated fats like butter, lard and ghee with small amounts of unsaturated fats such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower or corn oil.

Choose low and lower-fat varieties of dairy foods such as semi-skimmed, 1% fat milk or skimmed milk, low-fat yoghurts and lower-fat cheeses. Swap creamy sauces for tomato or vegetable based options.

Eat foods high in good fats, such as oily fish for omega-3, and limit foods that are high in dangerous saturated fat, such as cakes and pastries.

Check the nutrition labels on food to see if it is low in fat and how much of the fat is saturated fat. Saturated fat may be referred to as sat fat or saturates on food labels.

If you are going to have crisps - check the label and choose those with the lower sat fat - as there is often a big difference between brands.

For a sweet treat, have a currant bun, a scone or a slice of malt loaf and treat chocolate as a treat rather than a snack to have every day.

Think about the way you cook with food. Grill meat rather than frying. If you're using cheese to flavour a dish or a sauce, you could try using a very strong-tasting cheese, such as mature Cheddar, as you'll need less.