What
is fat?
Fats are also known as lipids, they are stored
as an oily liquid under the skin in the abdomen.
Fats form the body’s main energy store and are converted
into fuel as required. Fat stores also form an insulator
against heat loss.
 |
Fats are
stored in thin celled walls , you gain weight
when the fat cells in your body expand (because
you are supplying them extra calories!) The
number of fat cells we have varies according
to our genetic make up. You can actually develop
more fat cells in childhood if you over eat
or do not do enough physical activity.
When you lose weight,
your fat cells contract. You don’t lose any
fat cells and this is one reason why it’s
so easy to put the weight back on. This shows
the importance of making sure our children
have a balanced diet and get enough exercise. |
How do we measure fat in foods?
Most foods will have details on their packaging
giving you nutritional information. Below is an
example from a tin of baked beans.
| Typical
Values |
Per
100g Per serving |
Per
100g Per serving |
|
Energy
|
306KJ/72Kcal |
633KJ/149Kcal |
| Protein |
4.6g |
9.6g |
| Carbohydrate |
12.9g |
26.8g |
| Fat |
0.2g |
0.4g |
| Fibre |
3.7g |
7.6g |
| Salt |
0.9g |
1.8g |
The amount of ‘energy’ that is obtained from a
serving of baked beans is 633kilojoules or 149 calories.
So how many calories should we be having
each day?
There is no simple answer to this as the amount
of calories or energy you need to take in will vary
depending on what you are doing. If you continually
take in more calories than you need your body will
store this ‘energy’ in the form of fat.
The government's recommendation is that no more
than 35 per cent of your daily calories should come
from fat. So, if you're consuming 2,000 calories
a day you should be eating no more than 70-75g fat.
In order to lose weight , your calorie expenditure
must be higher than your calorie intake. It's therefore
important not only to monitor how much fat you consume,
but also to watch your calorie consumption. If you
combine this realistic diet with a regular exercise
routine, you can lose weight healthily.
How do we get over weight?
The most common cause of being overweight is upsetting
the balance of the number of calories we need and
the number of calories we actually use. Even those
people who suffer a medical condition that can cause
them to become overweight often are already taking
in too many calories!
Some medical conditions that can cause weight gain
include:
Hypothyroidism (an under active thyroid)
Taking medication such as steroids, anti-epileptics,
some anti-depressants
Some forms of cancer (eg: pancreas)
Brain injuries
Certain birth defects
Hormone imbalances
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