Does Eating Fat Make You Fat?
By: H.I.N.T-High Intensity Nutritional Training
Tags: Healthy, Weight Loss, Healthy Lifestyle, Weight Loss Tips, Fat Burning Foods

Alongside carbohydrates, fat has gotten quite a bit of flack over the years as some would consider it to be the root of all evil. The low-to-no fat diet craze swept over the weight loss community due to some claims that eating fat immediately translates to an increase in stored body fat. Is this true? Does fat have any beneficial function in the body or should it be avoided at all costs? While we may not be able to pinpoint exactly where this theory originated, other than the fact that the name itself may be the culprit (it is called “fat” after all), we can still find plenty of facts about this macronutrient that will either prove or disprove the concept.

Fat Storage: How It Works

In order to find out if eating fat creates an immediate increase in body fat, let’s start by understanding what takes place in the body when fat storage occurs.

It is important to first understand that one of the main purposes of eating carbs and fats is to promote energy production. When carbs are ingested, they are immediately broken down into smaller sugars (glucose and fructose), absorbed by the small intestine and released into the bloodstream. These sugars make their way to the liver where they are converted into uniform glucose molecules that partner up with insulin travel buddies and venture back into the bloodstream. The body will store an appropriate amount of these molecules as glycogen in the muscles, which will be used for energy throughout the day. Any excess carbs will be converted into triglycerides that will then be stored in fat cells until they are needed for more energy.

When dietary fat enters the body, it is uniquely digested and broken down to its smallest form. At this point it goes through an incredibly complex process in the body and is distributed for so many different purposes. Purposes such as cellular function, heart health, cholesterol regulation, hormone balancing, brain function, and vitamin absorption. After fat has been dispersed to fulfill all those duties, the remainder will travel in the form of triglycerides to the adipose, aka fat, tissue within the muscle where energy is stored. Then once your glycogen has been depleted, this fat will be used as an alternative energy source. Excess amounts of triglycerides from dietary fat will travel down to fat cells called adipocytes, whose main job is to expand and hold excess fat.

Bottom line is, when you eat more calories than your body requires for energy those excess calories are stored within the muscle and fat tissues, regardless of if they are sourced from fats, protein (which I discussed in the book), or carbohydrates.

Types Of Fat Storage

When excess carbohydrates and dietary fat are stored as triglycerides in adipocytes, they tend to accumulate and form two types of fat. The first category is known as visceral fat, which can be found in the abdomen and surrounding your organs. The other type of fat is called subcutaneous fat and as the name would suggest, is found just beneath the skin. Your age, genes, hormones, and other such factors will affect just how your body determines which type of fat category your adipocytes will contribute to and where on the body it will accumulate. There are also certain types and areas that scientists suggest will respond better to diet and exercise, but we will delve into that topic another day. The important thing to note, though, is that based on the definition given above for visceral fat, stored body fat is not always visible or obvious. There is a popular term called “skinny fat” in which a person has very little visible subcutaneous fat but their organs are surrounded by thick layers of adipocytes. Both visceral and subcutaneous fat can be dangerous in excessive amounts and can contribute to problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and other such conditions. That being said, keep in mind that at the end of the day both types of fat are created as a result of a caloric surplus and not from the simple act of eating dietary fat.

Why You Should Keep Fat In Your Diet

Now that you have a better understanding of how and why the body stores triglycerides within fat cells, let’s take a closer look at the different functions of dietary fat in the body.

As we have previously discussed, fats can be a very dense source of energy and at 9 calories per gram, that is more than double the amount of energy content when compared to carbohydrates and protein (4cals/gram). Aside from this, dietary fat is essential for cellular structure, specifically the outer membrane which is crucial for the function and protection of those cells. Not only that, but fats in the form of DHA are required for infant brain development, adult brain function, and even contribute to the function of your retina. We all know that vitamins are a crucial part of a healthy body, and these can be found in both water-soluble and fat-soluble forms. From a dietary perspective, fats are the essential carrier of the ever-important A, D, E, and K vitamins and allows for their absorption by the intestine. Another very important role dietary fats play in the body, though seemingly counterintuitive, is the overall contribution to heart health and the regulation of cholesterol levels and status.

The last and most important functions we will discuss of dietary fats in the body, is their ability to regulate hormones and stabilize hunger. Hormones play such a crucial role in our bodies and in our ability to find aesthetic/athletic success, and therefore should be a big priority on any health and fitness journey. Hormones also regulated by dietary fats are sexual and reproductive hormones, and if you have ever sustained a low-to-no fat diet for an extended period of time, you know the havoc it can wreak on these. Aside from this, fats tend to be dense and have a high satiety rating, making them a perfect compliment to any type of caloric deficit diet. Besides, who wants to feel hungry or deprived when they are trying to lose weight anyway? No one.

The Final Verdict

So what’s the verdict? How should you handle dietary fats in your diet? EAT THEM…in the right amount of course (If you want to find out what amount is right for you, click here for a free guide). Low-fat and no-fat diets are not sustainable in the long term and can cause a lot of damage to your body over time. So now that you know that eating fat does NOT translate into immediate storage of body fat, and that dietary fats have tons of essential beneficial functions in the body, go out and enjoy responsibly.