The Fat Switch

by Richard J. Johnson

Role of Fatty Foods and Trans Fats. The fat switch, activated by sugar and umami foods, acts primarily to change body composition to increase fat stores, and to make one leptin resistant so one is predisposed to gain weight. If one is eating a lot of sugar, then high fat diets will have a role in weight gain. However, by restricting foods containing added sugar and umami foods, the effects of high fat diets to increase weight are mild or absent. Furthermore, the Atkins diet has shown that when carbohydrates are restricted, weight loss can occur even when a person is eating a diet high in fat. As such, it is not important to restrict fats if one is on a diet low in added sugars and HFCS. However, some studies suggest one should avoid eating foods containing trans fats, as these can increase serum cholesterol and risk for heart disease.