The more I read, the more I’m becoming convinced that it isn’t eating fat that makes us fat.

Everything on our shelves is marketed as “low-fat” or “non-fat”, and yet they tell us that more Americans are fatter than ever. Possibly we’re just eating too much, thinking that if the food is “low/no fat” then we can’t get fat from eating it. But if we’re eating too much “no fat” food and getting fat, then the problem can’t just be from fat.

Besides, fats are actually important in our bodies. Vitamins A, D, E, and K can only be absorbed in the presence of fats. Fats are also used to keep our hair and skin healthy. The essential fatty acids (EFAs) are very important to processes in our bodies and cannot be manufactured by our bodies; we must eat these.

But if we’re not eating fat, how do we get so many pounds of fat in our bodies? Our bodies interconvert amino acids (from protein), glucose (from carbs), and fatty acids (from fat). That is, if you have a shortage of glucose but aren’t eating carbs, your body will create glucose from amino acids or fatty acids.

On the other hand, if you have an abundance of any of those three, your body packrats it away as fat. “Just in case,” your body says. “I’ll use it someday. It’s too good to just throw away.” (This is a slight tangent and fodder for another post, but check out Skwigg’s latest post about clutter and fat.)

Eating fat doesn’t make you fat. Eating protein doesn’t make you fat. Eating carbs doesn’t make you fat. Eating more than your body needs makes you fat.