Fat-free Or Sugar-free? The Verdict

Should you avoid fat, or should you avoid sugar? According to Dr. Peter Brukner, that's a given:

Back in the last century, there was a big turf war in nutrition about the cause of the increasing incidence of obesity and cardiovascular disease... In the end, [low fat guidelines] won out - a decision that had little to do with scientific research, and lots to do with money, politics and power.

So Western nations embarked on a prolonged experiment of low fat eating. Margarine replaced butter, we ate lean meat with all the fat trimmed off, and the food industry responded to the call by producing a vast array of low fat products.

The problem with removing the fat from foods was that much of the flavour went with it, so the fat was replaced by additives to improve the taste. And the number one additive? Sugar.

The Sydney Morning Herald: Ask an Expert: Fat-free or sugar-free? The verdict