When ever my patients bring up diet, they ask about fat. It’s an important topic because trans fats, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis all seem to go hand in hand. Dr. Atkins devotees say fat is fine; Dr. Ornish aficionados say it should be avoided at almost all costs. But a recent study by the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) suggests that the link between dieting and fat intake may not be as strong as we think.
The WHI study was begun in 1993 with nearly 50,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 years. In one part of the WHI, half the women were asked to eat as usual and given generic diet-related education material. The other half were assigned to follow a low-fat diet and participate in a variety of nutritional counseling sessions. The goal of the low-fat-diet group was to reduce their fat intake from 38% ...
