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Saturday, 26 July, 2008 12:59 PM
Most Americans
Don't Know 'Better Fats' Benefit Heart Health
American
Heart Association expands national fats awareness campaign with
'Better Fats Sisters'
Graphic
courtesy of www.myfatstranslator.com
DALLAS
-- Fewer than half of Americans know that the "better"
fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can help reduce their
risk of heart disease, according to a recent survey(1) by the American
Heart Association.
"Heart
disease remains the No. 1 killer of Americans. Consumers have heard
a lot about the 'bad' fats lately and what not to eat. That's why
it's important for people to know the 'better' fats and foods and
where they're found so they can lower their risk for heart disease,"
said Robert H. Eckel, M.D., past president of the American Heart
Association, chair of its trans fat task force and professor of
medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado
Denver.
Facing the
Fats with the Better Fats Sisters: Your Heart Helpers
The American
Heart Association is introducing two new characters, the Better
Fats Sisters -- Mon and Poly -- to help consumers learn more about
the benefits of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and the
foods where they are found. The Web site (www.AmericanHeart.org/FaceTheFats)
features the Better Fats Sisters alongside their Bad Fats Brothers,
Sat and Trans. The Sisters help consumers find comprehensive information
about fats so that they can eat healthier in restaurants and use
the better fats when preparing meals at home.
The Better
Fats Sisters remind everyone that all fats have the same number
of calories: 9 per gram, compared to the 4 calories per gram found
in proteins and carbohydrates. That means that even the "better
fats" are good only in moderation.
Types of
Fat and Heart Disease: Many Consumers Know the Bad, Fewer Know the
Better
The survey
shows that:
-- Only
41 percent of Americans know that consuming monounsaturated fats
decreases the risk of heart disease
-- Only 44 percent of Americans know that consuming polyunsaturated
fats decreases the risk of heart disease
In comparison:
-- 72 percent
of Americans understand that consuming saturated fats increases
the risk of heart disease
-- 68 percent of Americans understand that consuming trans fats
increases the risk of heart disease
Heart-Healthy Benefits of Better Fats
Monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated fats can lower your LDL -- or "bad"
-- cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart
disease.
Monounsaturated
fats can be found in vegetable oils like olive and canola oils;
and many nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts and sesame seeds.
Peanut butter and avocados are also good sources of monounsaturated
fats.
Polyunsaturated
fats can be found in oils like soybean and corn oils and in many
nuts and seeds such as walnuts and sunflower seeds. Fatty fish like
salmon and trout are also good sources of polyunsaturated fats.
Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6, essential fats
that your body needs but can't produce.
The American
Heart Association's Face the Fats Web site helps consumers make
heart-healthy choices, including:
-- Test
Your Fats IQ -- An interactive quiz that tests consumers' knowledge
of dietary fats and helps them learn more about fats on the spot.
(http://facethefats.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3047294)
-- My Fats Translator -- An easy-to-use calculator that gives individuals
their personalized daily calorie and fat consumption results. Its
food scenarios give ideas for smarter ways to prepare summer favorites,
each with three examples of "bad," "better"
and "best" selections. (http://www.myfatstranslator.com/)
-- Better Fats Recipes -- New heart-healthy recipes that make use
of the better fats. (http://facethefats.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3056411)
Notes:
(1) Proprietary
national survey conducted for the American Heart Association by
Cogent Research among a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults
18-65 years of age. The margin of error is +/-3.1 percentage points.
The American
Heart Association's trans fat education campaign is funded by a
class action lawsuit settlement against McDonald's. The American
Heart Association has the sole judgment as to the most effective
use of the funds. For more information on the campaign, call the
American Heart Association at 1-800-AHA-USA1.
Founded
in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation's oldest
and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building
healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. These diseases,
America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and all other cardiovascular
diseases claim nearly 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2006-07,
the association invested more than $554 million in research, professional
and public education, advocacy and community service programs to
help all Americans live longer, healthier lives. To learn more,
call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit Americanheart.org.
Source:
American Heart Association
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