Why Our Fat Labeling Laws Will Keep You Fat

Just the quickest post about reading fat on labels. Labeling laws are meant to deceive you!!!! After all, they are a product of lobbyists for industry, not lobbyists for your health. So, as a general rule, if you are trying to average 10 to 20 per cent of your calories from fat per day, then don't let a packaged product have more than that. Look at the calories; look at the calories from fat. Do a simple division. E.g., if a product is 100 calories and 20 are from fat, that is 20 per cent. If a product is 250 calories, and 25 are from fat that is 10 per cent. But do not be fooled by tricky labeling like "less than 1 per cent fat", or "98 per cent fat free." This refers only to weight, not to percentage of calories. For example, Hain vegetable broth claims it is 99 per cent fat free. A serving has 30 calories, 20 of which are from fat. 66 per cent of the calories are from fat! Many companies have added calories through sugar or added water to be able to claim a lower percentage of fat while leaving in the same amount of fat. All perfectly legal, but ethical? Hmmm. Also, be especially cognizant of packaged foods that have very small serving sizes. Companies need not claim any fat if there is less than 1/2 a gram. So, if a serving has .49999 grams (thus, lists 0 in the fat column) and 25 calories and you eat ten servings, i.e. the whole package, then you will have had just under five grams, about 45 calories per 250 calories. This is just shy of 20 per cent, but the label reads no fat at all, zero!!!