Heart Association advises on fat substitutes

DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- Although more than 90 percent of Americans say they have consumed low or reduced-fat foods or beverages, they are more obese than ever.

For that reason, the American Heart Association says the jury is still out on whether fat substitutes offer any health benefit.

"The growing prevalence of obesity is a major concern of the American Heart Association and many foods are marketed as low in fat, so consumers think they can eat as much as they want," said Judith Wylie-Rosett, who wrote the AHA's statement, "Fat Substitutes and Health," an advisory from the Nutrition Committee.

"We like things to be simple, if it's good for you, then you should be able to eat as much as want, but it's more complicated than that."

For one thing, some low-fat products are equal in calories to their regular fat counterparts because there is either more sugar or other ingredients added for taste.

While more people are concerned about fitness, most people live a sedentary lifestyle. In other cases, by consuming so many low-fat foods, people may not be consuming enough of the so-called "good fats."

"People may not be getting enough of the fatty acids that are beneficial in reducing heart disease risk, like omega 3 fatty acids," said Wylie-Rosett.

"With olestra, manufacturers are replacing the fat soluble vitamins, but we don't know that blocking fat absorption may not have some other effect over a long period of time."

When eating snack foods made with the fat substitute olestra, the American Heart Association advises consumers to be aware of the serving size and regulate consumption. It's easy to open a bag of chips and eat the entire bag.

"People may open a bag and they don't think about it. They feel virtuous. They may not use the same logic they use for other decision-making," said Wylie-Rosett.

"People can set themselves on a budget with money but are more compulsive when it comes to eating."

Wylie-Rosetta advises that when you pick up a low-fat product, look at the nutrition facts label on the back and look for the amount of fat per serving and the number of servings per container in order to make a well-informed decision.

"The food industry has tried to respond with what they thought was a good message in terms of heart disease and the message was more complicated then they realized," Wylie-Rosett said.

"The irony is monitoring fat is still a reasonable means of weight control, but people need to understand the complexity."

There are foods, though, that are naturally low in fat: fruits and vegetables, which are especially fresh and plentiful at this time of year.