BODY SYNC KNOWLEDGE BASE

HEALTH + FITNESS: BEWARE LOW FAT FOODS

first published as "The Secret Shame of Low Fat Marketing", Aug 2003 Issue "The Rubdown"
©2001-2008 Andrew Thompson

Where are three ways to make something seem yummy to our taste buds - we can add salt, sugar, or fat.

In varying degrees, these three "flavour carriers" are virtually part of everything in the modern Australian diet, and we are constantly bombarded with warnings to avoid them at all costs. Perhaps it’s this very bombardment that’s made low-fat marketing the success it is today.

Just go down to your local supermarket and stand by the milk cabinet for a few minutes. Without fail, you’ll see someone come along and compare a low-fat product with it’s unashamed full-fat counterpart.

Maybe they’ll read the label just to make sure they have the right carton, or maybe they’ll go a step further and compare the fat levels on the Nutrition Information chart on the back.

Rarely though, will they compare the levels of sugar.

Ever since the advent of low fat marketing, it has been a common (and deceitful) way to keep the flavour in a a low-fat product by adding sugar. Yoghurts, milk and ice cream are notorious for this, even now.

Unfortunately, the unwary shopper isn’t aware that some manufacturers are simply increasing the sugar content. Nor do they realise that the additional sugar will simply be converted to fat by our bodies anyway.

Perhaps even more of a concern is manufacturers’ use of artificial sweeteners, the most common way of reducing both fat and sugar in a product. Sugar substitutes like phenylalanine are used in a wide range of low-fat products such as diet soft drinks, yoghurt, chocolate, biscuits, milk, and even health foods.

Phenylalanine in particular, has attracted a great deal of media attention over the past decade, as health authorities continue to voice concerns over the use of flavour-enhancing chemicals.

Evidence continues to grow that suggest these chemicals are linked to health problems such as stomach ulcers, kidney disease, toxic blood, and cancer of the liver.

In Australia, food manufacturers are required by law to put a warning on any product containing artificial sweeteners, yet still we continue to ingest these chemicals every day, all in the quest for a thinner waist line.

The sad truth is that we, the consumer, have made these products acceptable. Rather than practicing moderation or self-discipline, we would rather have someone create a product for us that lets our eating habits remain the same, even if that product has been stripped of its nutrient value and saturated with potentially toxic chemicals.

I admit that I’m guilty of this sometimes, so maybe it’s time for change.

How about you? It’s all good food for thought.

DISCLAIMER: Body Sync has made every effort to ensure this information is accurate. However, we accept no responsibility for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in respect of the information contained in the material provided by Body Sync, nor is the provision of the material by Body Sync to be construed as any representation that there are no other materials or information available in relation to the information provided. Further, Body Sync accepts no responsibility to persons who may rely upon this information for whatever purpose.

Return to the main Knowledge Base Directory