High Energy Intake due to Fat

Fat consumption has doubled since 1920 until today. Meat from farmed animals, which is consumed in high amounts, has a fat content of 30%, whereas wild as well as non-fattened animals have only 4 to 5% body fat. Moreover, today’s farmed animal meat consists mainly of the unhealthy saturated fatty acids, as these animals are fed feed that is poor in the essential unsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. Finally, people with high consumption of farmed animal meat consume too little of the omega-3 fatty acids and excessive amounts of energy instead. Saturated fatty acids thus contribute to more than 60% of total fat consumption. The resulting consequences can be apoplexy (stroke) and diseases such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), diabetes mellitus and rheumatism. Furthermore, a diet rich in saturated fatty acids increases the risk of prostate and colon cancer, as well as serum cholesterol levels due to the high proportion of cholesterol in the diet. In addition, increased consumption of saturated fats stimulates our liver to produce too much cholesterol. In cholesterol-sensitive people, high cholesterol levels can lead to myocardial infarction (heart attack). A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids increases the tendency to blood clotting, hypertension (high blood pressure) and inflammation. Compared to carbohydrates and proteins, fat is much more “energy-dense,” having more than twice as many calories per gram. In contrast, carbohydrates and proteins have twice the satiating effect. However, since many people give priority to foods in which the fat content clearly outweighs the carbohydrate and protein content, the risk of passive overconsumption increases. Increased amounts of fat are consumed to satisfy hunger and achieve a feeling of satiety. Another reason for the tendency to eat fatty foods is the fact that fat provides a pleasant, creamy sensation in the mouth and thus enhances taste. Finally, a large number of people in Central Europe cover their energy requirements with 40 to 50 % in the form of fat. With the one-sided consumption of snack and convenience food, high vital substance deficits (micronutrients) occur. If our body receives too little of vitamin C, which is necessary for fat burning, fat is increasingly stored. Essential antioxidants such as vitamin B2, B3 in dairy and whole grain products, vitamin E, A in nuts and seeds, beta-carotene, selenium, zinc, manganese and copper as well as secondary plant substances – genistein, hesperidin – in many fruits and vegetables and partly in whole grain products, are not absorbed enough due to the wrong choice of food, which means that fat deposits on the artery walls cannot be prevented. In particular, the lack of vital substances (micronutrients) results in a high susceptibility to infections and inflammations and, finally, an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases from increased fat intake. Intake of high amounts of energy by fat – vital substance deficiency (micronutrients).