Nutrition fact or fiction: Fat consumption = fat gain

Myth 1: Eating fat makes you gain fat.

•Eating fat does not cause fat gain itself. Fat is gained by consuming more calories than are burned through intake of all macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, & protein).

Myth 2: Eating fat is bad for you.

•While foods high in trans and saturated fats are unhealthy due to the potential to build up cholesterol in the body, there are also several types of fats that are essential to human functioning. Examples of this are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats which help to counter the effects of fats that contribute to cardiovascular disease.