The answer isn't clear. For one thing, it's simpler to cut all fats than to cut just saturated and trans fats, especially when trans fats aren't listed on labels. Her low-fat diet, though, was loaded with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. A fat-free cake doesn't produce the same sense of fullness as four apples. And don't forget exercise.
Studies suggest that if anything helps to keep unwanted pounds from returning, it's exercise.
Like other anti-carbohydrate books, The Zone blames our epidemic of obesity on advice from health experts to eat less fat and more carbohydrates like pasta and bread. According to the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics, fat intake has barely budged. The average American ate 81.4 grams of fat a day in the late 1970s and 82 grams a day in the late 1980s. Sears blames it on the extra carbs we're eating. None deserve the biggest blame for our bulging body parts, says Sears.