Sugars versus fats: the history of dietary advice

Take a look at the photo below. A public beach in the US in 1972. What do you notice? Indeed. No one is too fat. Come on, now. Why was that normal then and is half the population overweight now?

It has everything to do with the glory days of Ancel Keys, when it became us that fats were the devil, especially the saturated ones. Ancel Keys, the man behind the infamous diet-lipid-heart disease hypothesis, firmly claimed that saturated fats and cholesterol were the culprits behind cardiovascular disease.
His base? The fact that during the Second World War, the number of heart attacks fell and people consumed less meat, cheese and butter. A plausible theory, many thought. But here's the juicy detail: he ignored completely different factors, such as sugar, tobacco and gasoline, which were also less used. Keys went into Europe determined to prove his anti-fat theory. In Naples, he watched the rich indulge in fatty meat, while they had more heart attacks than the workers. Keys saw this as a confirmation of his rightness, even though those upper classes also loved sweet desserts and sugar in their coffee, which was a luxury product at the time. Keys' conclusion? A diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol would clog your veins and lead to an inevitable heart attack. Sounds familiar, right?
So, people were euphoric and thankful that there was finally a culprit: fat! It was mainly saturated fat, found in butter, cheese and bacon. Keys went on a trip around the world, collected data and created the myth that eating more fat meant more heart disease. His diet theory reigned for decades, even though we now know it was weak science to say the least.

Nutrition research is a slippery path

Nutrition research is a slippery path, full of pitfalls and variables. It's not exactly an exact science, and its reliability is far from watertight. But here's the twist - Keys didn't just make mistakes, he deliberately ignored facts that undermined his theory. He collected data in Crete during Lent, when no meat was eaten, and claimed that Cretans ate almost no meat, used only olive oil and looked very healthy. This is how the idea of the Mediterranean diet, which we admire so much today, was born. What he failed to mention, however, was that on another Greek island, Corfu, people consumed less saturated fat than in Crete, but died more often from hartziekten.Dat doesn't really fit his story, so it was conveniently hidden away.Although data was available for more than twenty countries, Keys limited himself to only seven (!) of it, which made its statistical link far from reliable. Later research, including the Women's Health Initiative and the Framingham Study, has now shown that there is no link between saturated fat consumption and heart disease. They are simply neutral.

Why do we continue to believe that fats are the enemy?

This has everything to do with political and economic interests. In 1977, the U.S. Senate published the infamous “McGovern Report” that formed the basis for dietary guidelines worldwide for decades. Their message? “Too much meat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.”

This report caused a large-scale agrarian reform in America focused on grain, soy and corn, resulting in the production of high fructose corn syrup, a high-calorie syrup that is still used in soft drinks and is strongly associated with the diabetes epidemic. The McGovern report was the starting signal for a revolution in our eating habits and an epidemic of obesity.

Low-fat dairy products and vegetable oils were promoted

Butter and lard were replaced by vegetable oils and margarines. Low-fat dairy products were promoted, but they often contained more sugar to compensate for the lack of taste. People also started eating more carbohydrates and sugars because they consumed less fat, resulting in an increase in calorie intake. And a huge increase in trans fats, which are mainly found in processed foods such as cookies and fast foods.

Trans fats are artificially produced fats created by a process called hydrogenation, which converts liquid vegetable oils into solid fats. This process alters the chemical structure of the fatty acids, which can make them harmful to health.They are common in processed foods, such as margarine, fried snacks, fried foods, cookies, cakes and fast foods. They are known to increase blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The rise of convenience foods and fast foods in the 80s and 90s made things even worse. Sugar crept into all kinds of products, from hamburgers to ready meals, and people didn't even realize how much sugar they were consuming. The number of cases of obesity and diabetes rose significantly, especially of type 2 diabetes, due to unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle.

So, let's get things right: fats are NOT the enemy that they seemed to be for decades. They're an essential part of a healthy diet, and it's time to embrace them without fear of clogged veins. Sugar, on the other hand, is the true culprit behind many of our health issues, and it's high time we dismantle this sugar demon.

So remember this carefully: don't blindly rely on dietary advice. Do your own research, keep a critical eye on science and listen to your own body. We've been misled for years, but now is the time to embrace the truth and take control of our health.

It's time to put fat back into our diet and avoid sugar like the plague and rid your body of toxins. Your body will thank you for it.

 The sources:

• “Fat Fiction” documentary
• Study on saturated fats and heart disease: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20071648/
• McGovern Report: https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fnic_uploads/mcgov-senate-diet-disease.pdf
• Diabetes epidemic and sugar consumption: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23493538/
• High fructose corn syrup and diabetes: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21593536/
• Trans fats and health risks: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10539756/
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