The percentage of fat in our diet has dropped not because we are eating less fat but because we are eating more calories than ever before. In the following examples, the calories in the fat-free versions are the same or higher because of sugar. 180 calories 2 Tbsp. 190 calories 2 Tbsp. R ead labels carefully.
People can easily assume that it is still the same product they used to buy.
D ieter' s who congratulate themselves for skipping brownies at dinner might consider what they drank that day. Americans drink the equivalent of that brownie and more, says Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University, who believes America's spreading girth has more to do with the massive consumption of soda and fruit drinks than with that of sweets and fatty treats. The researcher asked volunteers to eat 450 calories' worth of jelly beans every day for a month and to keep track of everything else they ate. Sure enough, after the jelly beans they ate smaller meals and didn't gain weight. For more information about eating go to The Glycemic Index and read about the Satiety Index of Foods .