Research
Energy balance
Reducing total dietary fat intake over the past 30 years in the US has not led to a reduction in obesity prevalence, suggesting that fat reduction alone is insufficient for weight control without addressing total energy intake and physical activity.
Cutting fat alone hasn't stopped obesity rates from rising. To manage weight, focus on total energy intake and physical activity, not just the fat content of your food.
ModerateRefutesMEDIUM confidence
Reduction of dietary fat (both absolute amount and as a percentage of total dietary energy) from 1965 to 1988/89 did not result in lower body weights.
Why this rating
Based on population-level trend data and ecological studies, which have methodologic limitations.
Source
Dietary Fat Consumption and Health
Alice H. Lichtenstein et al. · Nutrition Reviews · 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1998.tb01728.x
narrative_reviewCited 291×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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