The new fat replacements

Recent public health reports have implicated dietary fat as a major cause of chronic disease. Physicians are being called on to help their patients reduce fat consumption by guiding them toward a low-fat diet. However, high-fat foods are an important component of the American diet, and preferences for them are remarkably resistant to change. The standard strategy of suggesting to patients that they eat fewer high-fat foods and more grains, vegetables, and fruits has not, in my experience, been very effective. Fat-replacement products offer a useful new strategy for reducing fat consumption by the American public.