The Demonisation of Fats and Carbs

Fats and carbs are two of the three essential macronutrients needed for human survival. Yet, the growing fitness and nutrition community that is taking social media by storm nowadays seems to be demonizing the consumption of these two macronutrients, jeopardizing the health of many who listen to unfounded advice blindly. In this blog, I hope to explain the importance of consuming these two macronutrients for health optimization and discuss how we can juggle between eating for health and pleasure among the temptations in the food industry right now.

The basics - function of fats and carbs

I’m sure many have heard of the basic functions of fat and carb due to their greatly contested nature on social media right now, so I’ll briefly summarize everything up.

For a start, fats are derived from chemical molecules called fatty acids, which function as long term energy stores, insulation and kick-starts basic metabolic reactions for our body. These bodily functions have developed from our ancestors, who did not have readily available food in the past and so the body adapted accordingly so it could store unused energy for later, when energy is scarce and ultimately reducing their changes of death by starvation. Though not true in many cases, obesity is often attributed to an excess storage of fat in one’s body when they consume more energy from food than needed. This essential point forms my fundamental argument: the idea that obesity is caused, in many cases, due to more energy consumed than required, and hence stored in the form of body fat. It is not, however, from the direct consumption of fat.

All macronutrients contain energy in the form of calories, and it just so happens that each gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories in comparison to 4 calories in each gram of carb or protein, allowing it to be easily overconsumed. Fat is especially vital for girls for hormonal regulation since all hormones, like progesterone and estrogen, are made from fat and protein and hence a low-fat diet reduces the production of said hormones, leading to irregular periods, mood swings and higher cortisol levels. Now, cortisol levels are something I am fascinated by and will perhaps write a blog of its own, but essentially it is a stress hormones that dictates your daily mood and emotions like motivation and fear. Having tried a low-fat diet myself, I did, in fact, experience irregularities in my menstrual cycle and a very noticeable shift in mood, often getting easily irritated.

By the same boat, carbohydrate is also another macronutrient demonized to cause obesity and unfortunately, I have also fallen victim to this distorted narrative. Instead, think about carbs this way: it is the main source of short-term energy your body uses and without carbs, fatigue, mood swings and high cortisol levels follow you like a never-ending shadow. Even if you don’t believe me or the science behind research on carbs, take a look at history: Our ancestors have eaten carbs in different variations as their primary food source to provide enough energy for them to work tirelessly during a day.

Rejecting food anxiety

Have you ever come across a YouTube, TikTok or Instagram video warning against you finishing a whole bowl of noodles or pasta because “they are too high in carbs”? Well, I sure have. Despite carbs containing the same number of calories as protein per gram, protein seems to be glorified while carb consumption is oppressed as much as possible. I believe that one must experiment with their own proportions and macronutrient distribution and feel the differences due to such adjustments to find a good balance of what offers them good physical health and mental satisfaction. It is certainly easier said than done, and I can reassure you that I am navigating through this space too, but trying is always better than not trying at all.

Sadly, these “fear carb and fat” sentiments have only emerged in the last decade due to accelerated technological developments which have blurred the lines of what one should eat.

Fundamentally and historically, we as humans need all three of these macronutrients to survive and instead of fearing what temptations are exposed to us, we should embrace social media to enhance our health. For example, I like to watch videos that give me helpful nutrition advice on what foods contain healthy fats (ones that can only be consumed and not produced by your own body) and focus on eating them whenever possible.

Balance is key

That being said, I can never say no to crispy yet fluffy french fries and flaky Portuguese egg tarts which obtain their irresistible flavors through additional saturated fats. Aside from the fact that an overconsumption of saturated fats will cause cholesterol buildup, leading to physical illnesses like increased risk of heart disease, the association of saturated fats with obesity is simply due to the high caloric content condensed into small volume foods like baked goods made with lots of saturated fats.

Essentially: Small food size + High saturated fat content (Increasing its deliciousness) = High caloric density = Tendency to be overeaten. Trust me, I understand the feeling of craving something indulgent or greasy yet feeling conflicted because you’re trying to be healthy, but sometimes, striking a balance will offer you more benefits than harm in the long run. If you know eating an almond croissant will curb that craving of yours and make your day, eat it! An over obsession for a healthy diet isn’t sustainable or even realistic in the world we live in today. Embrace what cuisines around the world has to offer!!!

Thank you for reading, and see you all in a bit.

-Winnie 28/01/2025