Will 'Fat-Free' Food Help You Lose Weight?

When you see “Fat-Free!” emblazoned on the front of your favorite snack food, what goes through your mind?

“Awesome! Now I don’t have to worry about gaining weight when I want to eat these.” But does “fat-free” really mean you won’t get fat eating it? Does it mean you can eat more of it?

That is NOT the case. It is just without the fat calories. While a “fat-free” product may seem like it’s giving you free reign to go hog-wild, take a moment to compare the nutrition facts panel on the fat-free box to the full-fat version or a similar product. Chances are the calorie count is the same or pretty darned close.

How is that possible? When food manufacturers take the fat out of a product, they also remove the flavor. So, if they expect anyone to buy it, they have to find a way to put the taste back. The usual culprit for balancing out flavor loss is adding in more sugar. And what do you get when you reduce the fat and increase the sugar? Calories. Remember “fat-free is not always low-calorie nor it is calorie-free.” The key is to watch your total caloric intake and have a balanced lifestyle - the calories you take in versus the calories you burn off.