Fat doesn't make you Fat...

Over 90% of people who embark on a "diet" to lose weight regain the weight they lose, and more. There can be several reasons for this, but undoubtedly one of the biggest problems is that it is generally assumed that eating fat makes you fat, so a "low fat" diet is embarked upon.

Of course, eating too much fat is not healthy and has adverse side effects, weight gain inparticular. However, it is the type of fat that is one of the important factors in maintaining optimum health and therefore a healthy amount of body fat. Fats are essential for health, particularly for the brain. Essential fats (Omegas 3 & 6) are known as polyunsaturated fats, which cannot be produced by the human body, so must be consumed through diet by eating fish, nuts and seeds. This is in comparison to bad fats, or non essential fats(saturated/monosaturated and trans fats) which are prevalent in the western diet, but are not required to be consumed as the body can easily convert carbohydrates and protein to saturated and monounsaturated fats. Non essential fats can only be burned for energy or stored as fat, and as fat is calorie dense, 9 calories per gram, eating non essential fats will lead to weight gain.
So point 1 to remember - You must eat fats, but they should come from Fish, Nuts, Lean Meat, Seeds and their oils. Not processed foods.

That leaves the question why we can become fat even if we only eat the recommmended amounts of essential fats? One word - SUGAR. All sugars (which include carbohydrates and alcohol) are converted to glucose through the digestive process. Glucose is the fuel used by your cells and is stored as muscle glycogen. However your muscles have a finite storage capacity, so once stores are full, the excess that has not been burned up is stored as fat.
A perfect example of the disastrous effect that sugar can have on body fat is the typical night out. A few drinks (all sugar), possibly a meal or even worse, a kebab/burger at closing time. All of these calories will be converted to glucose, but the muscle glycogen stores will soon become full and the remainder of those calories will be stored as fat. You get up in the morning and think that going for a run will counter-act the effects of the night before. Infact, what it will do is empty the muscle glycogen stores, which will refill on eating your next meal, fat burning will be minimal. The process to break down fat is far more complicated for the body than using up the ready made fuel stored in the muscles.
So point number 2 to remember is - If you are going to consume sugar, burn it off straight away otherwise it will be stored almost immediately as fat.

Having covered Fats and Carbohydrates, we are left with Protein. Its primary function is to build and repair cells, so it is vital for the body. The great thing about protein is that the energy burned to break it down in order to be used by the body, is almost three times the amount used to break down carbohydrates and fats. In simple terms, your body will burn more calories just by eating protein instead of carbs. Furthermore, protein has a higher satiating effect, and prevents the early onset of hunger after a meal. Excess protein is dispelled through the body's waste system and is not stored as fat.
So point number 3 to remember is - Eat protein with every meal, it will raise your metabolism.

Considering this information, you should look at your diet and be honest, is it the fat I eat that is making me fat? The likely answer is no, but that it is the lack of protein and overconsumption of processed carbohydrates. Fruit and vegetables are the natural source of carbohydrates so there is no nutritional requirement for pastas, bread, potatoes and rice etc. These really do make the western world fat.