Find resources that provide background and support for education efforts related to fats, including consumption statistics, information on trans fats, cholesterol and saturated fats, fat replacers, heart disease risk reduction, and more.
Dietary Fat and Fat Replacers
Shining the Spotlight on Trans FatsHarvard School of Public Health.
Provides detail about Trans fats, including changes in the food industry reducing and eliminating Trans fats. The link also provides brief information on alternative fats to use or look for in food products.
Cholesterol and Fats in Our Diet: Part Two - The Latest on Lifestyle ChangeTexas A&M. Family and Consumer Sciences.
An overview of dietary fat and cholesterol covering topics from types of fats to managing fats in your diet. Also provides descriptions of several cholesterol lowering medications and their side effects.
Fat Replacers: Food Ingredients for Healthy EatingCalorie Control Council.
Glossary of fat replacers currently available or which have research efforts in place to develop them. Includes protein-based fat replacers, carbohydrate-based fat replacers and fat-based fat replacers.
Dietary Fats and Fat ReplacersInternational Food Information Council Foundation.
Provides links to a variety of resources including a backgrounder on fats and fat replacers, reviews on fats and the nutritional impact of fat replacers, and articles on the functions of fat, omega-3 fatty acids, low-fat foods, and more. Also includes downloadable educational booklets/brochures on topics such as: Fish and Your Health, Everything You Need to Know About the Functions of Fats in Your Foods, and The Benefits of Balance: Managing Fat in Your Diet.
Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients (PDF | 97 KB)National Academy of Sciences.
Scroll down for dietary reference intakes of total fat, omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Includes information on the function, selected food sources, and adverse effects of excessive consumption.
Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the GoodHarvard School of Public Health.
Explains how fat enters the bloodstream and how it affects chronic disease.
Fat in Your Diet: Grams vs. PercentagesMayo Clinic.
Explains how to apply recommendations for percentage of dietary fat.
Fats: The Good and the BadMayo Clinic.
Explains the role of fats in nutrition, distinguishes between the different types of fats, and includes general tips for decreasing overall dietary fat and choosing foods rich in monounsaturated fats instead of saturated fats.
Know Your FatsAmerican Heart Association.
Reviews the effects of dietary fat on blood cholesterol levels. Includes a discussion on the health effects and dietary sources of saturated fat, trans fatty acids, dietary cholesterol, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.
Trans Fat is Double Trouble for Your HealthMayo Clinic.
Provides a detailed summary of trans fat including what it is, and what foods it can be found in. Information is given on how to spot trans fat in ingredient lists. Information is also provided about how trans fat affects blood cholesterol and the total body.
Fat SubstitutesAmerican Heart Association.
This link from AHA provides a short description on what fat substitutes are, how they are used, and if they are safe to consume.
Dietary Fats' Effects on Blood LipidsUniversity of Wisconsin Department of Medicine.
This link provides a table that compares the different types of fats, and their affects on blood lipids. A list of food sources is also including identifying where the different types of fats are found.
2008 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food, Nutrition & HealthInternational Food Information Council.
Survey outcomes on consumer's perceptions and awareness on topics related to dietary fats.