Fats just like the name suggests, do make people fat, but only when eaten in more than the required quantity. Fats when eaten in moderate amount are an essential nutrient needed by your body. Fats are not healthy for your body if eaten in huge quantities.

Oops! I forgot to tell you what fats are!! Fats are components of food. They are found in oily and very sugary foods. They are  present significant quantities  in  nuts, oils, meat, desserts and snacks like potato chips, chocolate, cakes, doughnuts, pastries, and cookies. Some foods, including most fruits and vegetables, have almost no fat. Fats are also present in whole milk products like cheese and butter. Other foods have plenty of fat.

Remember not all fat is unhealthy. We need some fat in our diets so for our brain and nervous system to develop correctly. Fats also form a layer under the skin and to help to control our body  temperature. The body also uses fat as a source of fuel. Fat gives us energy to move around.

So then which fats are good and which are bad?

Fats in food like nuts and seeds, oily fish, olive oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, sesame oil and other vegetable oils are good fats. Fats in processed foods, such as pies, pastries, doughnuts, cakes and biscuits are unhealthy. Also, fats in fried foods like French fries are not so great for health. These should be eaten once a while.

All the excess fat is stored in the body inside fat cells. People who are very physically active usually burn up all this fat. But people who are lazy and do not exercise become unhealthy as fat just sits in their bodies and doesn’t get used. Old people should avoid eating too much fat as it is difficult for them to exercise a lot.