Trans-Fats Transfers to Big Waist Gain

Trans-Fats Encourage Belly Fat

What are trans-fats?

Trans-fats are artificially created solidified oils which limit the body's capability to regulate cholesterol, thus presenting significant health risks.

What happens when trans-fats enter the daily diet?

In a six-year study, two groups of monkeys were given same-calorie diets. One group's diet consisted of 8% of daily calories derived from partially hydrogenated soybean oil while the other group's diet consisted of mono-unsaturated fats.

At the end of the study, both groups of monkeys gained weight. The monkeys who ate the healthier diet experienced a 1.8% weight gain while the monkeys who ate a diet mined with trans-fats experienced a 7.8% weight gain.

Trans-fats & Abdominal Weight Distribution

The weight gain in the monkeys who ate the diet high in trans-fats experienced the weight gain in the abdominal area. Although humans aren't monkeys, the study indicates that much the same could occur.

Trans-fats Speculations

Given the study on trans-fats, we are left with several questions and theories.

1. If the same number of calories were given to both groups of monkeys, why did either group gain weight?

Diet Bites Theory: Obviously both groups of monkeys were fed more calories than their bodies used OR as they aged, metabolism slowed along with the monkey's activity levels.

2. Why did one group gain more than the other?

Diet Bites Theory: The culprit appears to be the insertion of trans-fats into the diet.

3. But why such a high rate of weight gain in the trans-fats daily diet group?

Diet Bites Theory: We surmise that the higher amount of weight gained was due to the composition of the foods.

To demonstrate, let's use two large raw carrots and 1/3 of a donut containing trans-fats as our examples. Both are equal in calories which are locked inside the foods. However, due to the makeup of the donut, it is much easier to process by the body once it enters the digestive system. On the other hand, the carrot has a more sophisticated makeup, one incorporating fiber and dense cells - much more of a challenge for the body to process.

The calories from the donut are easily accessed by the body. But before the body has time to breakdown the composition of the carrot, some of the carrot may pass through the body without the calories being unlocked.

Trans-fats Showdown

The following are just a few examples of trans-fats found in foods, including fast foods. For a list detailing foods highest in trans-fats, click here.

McDonald's Large Fries - 8.0 grams of trans-fat.

Burger King Double Whopper Cheeseburger - 2.47 grams of trans-fats.

Wendy's Biggie Fries - 5.7 grams of trans-fats.

Picture of Food Pyramid Containing Maximum Daily Servings - 1,810 Calories

 

Picture of Food Pyramid Containing Maximum Daily Servings - 3,590 Calories

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