What's Good About Fat?

• Fat provides flavor and adds enjoyment to the foods we eat.
• Fat supplies the body with energy and essential fatty acids.
• Fat helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.
• Fat keeps skin healthy.
• Fat insulates the body so you don't become too hot or too cold.
• Fat cushions internal organs.
• Fat is important for proper growth in children.

You do need a small amount of fat in your diet to stay healthy, at a minimum, the amount found in 1-2 tablespoons of oil. But how much fat should you eat? Health experts recommend that 15 to 30 percent of your daily calories come from fat, which could be as little as 25 grams or up to 90 grams per day.

The Problem with Fat:

Keeping tabs on our daily fat intake is a matter of good health. Excess fat in the diet is linked to the development of chronic diseases, including:

• Heart disease and stroke
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Some kinds of cancer

More people suffer and die from heart disease than any other ailment. But take this fact to heart: Diet is just one factor that influences your risk for coronary heart disease. The more risk factors you have the more likely you are to have a heart attack in the next 5 years. Risk factors include a family history of the disease, and your age and gender -- but those are things you can't do anything about, fat intake is.