It is generally assumed that fats are potentially harmful elements as part of your diet. Which is true if consumed in great amounts. Like all the other food groups if used in moderation or as prescribed by the food pyramid (see previous article for information about the food pyramid) there are benefits by including fats in your diet. In fact fats are necessary to maintain proper health. Fats are stored by the body and are a major form of energy. If food becomes unavailable the stored fat is used as a secondary source by the body to provide energy and help prevent starvation.

Glycogen is the dominant form of the bodies carbohydrates supply but it cannot be stored in large amounts because it also holds lots of water, which is very bulky. This limits the supply of carbohydrates that are needed for energy. Fats, since there is no water can be packed together tightly and store more energy than glycogen in a less space.

Fat rich foods can be invaluable in many situations. Since one gram of fat supplies twice the calories of one gram of carbohydrates it supplies twice the energy or in such cases as hard physical labor or and when traveling in cold climates fats are transformed into energy in the form of heat. The major problem with fatty foods is the temptation to over indulge. The aroma and taste is normally enough to make you eat more than you should and your body stores the extra calories in the form of fat.

When should you stop eating? There’s what you might consider a grapevine running through the body, when something happens at one point a message is sent ahead saying what the next process should be. There are certain fats in food that slow digestion and send out a signal through the grapevine to the brain saying it’s time to quit eating. Fatty foods give a fuller feeling of satisfaction and when the stop-eating signal is ignored everything eaten beyond that point will again be stored as fat.

We cannot survive without some fat in our diet, a cushion of fat protects the vital organs of our body, and it acts like a shock absorber to prevent damage from knocks and bumps.
We are also protected from extremes in temperature by a layer of fat beneath the skin.

Many people are actually in fear of eating too much fat. Eating disorders such as gaining weight and anorexia are often associated with this fear. You have to realize that fat is a requirement of the body and in moderate amounts will keep it happy and healthy and rather than eliminating fat from your diet you should be choosing the type of fats you eat. Stay away from fast food, it is known for the notorious amounts of fats in the food. Concentrate more on the good fats such as those found in olive oil.

As with everything in your diet fats are a requirement of your body. Moderation is the key. A small amount of good fats each day will help you stay healthy.