LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Reports published today in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism suggest that many people are confused about the health consequences of fats consumed. Often fat is not considered to be part of a healthy, balanced diet. Also many do not know that there are good, and even essential, fats. As a result, the quality of fats they consume is not in line with recommendations. To help overcome this problem, experts suggest that simple dietary changes be made, such as replacing full fat dairy (e.g. fatty cheeses) and meat products with lean choices, and use of fats and oils of vegetable origin rich in essential fats (sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil and products made of these oils such as margarines) rather than of consuming fat of animal origin (lard, butter, etc).

The series of papers published in the Annals include data presented at an international meeting attended by 40 of the world’s leaders in diet, nutrition and health from 25 countries. The meeting, entitled ‘Health Significance of Fat Quality of the Diet’, was held in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this year examined :

• existing recommendations and guidelines on fats in order to update the knowledge on health implications of the fat quality of the diet;
• the role of high-quality fat sources in contributing to achieving an optimal fat quality of the diet;
• consumer perception and insights on fats and fatty acids in order to analyze what consumers actually know about fats and health, and
• current actual versus (inter)national recommended intake of fats and fatty acids.

“The International Expert Meeting provided us with the opportunity to draw from recent international scientific consensus and agree on guidelines for an optimal fat quality of the diet on the one hand and an actionable approach to disseminating recommendations on the other” said Professor Ricardo Uauy, Chairman of the International Expert Meeting in Barcelona and President of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS).

The key output of the International Expert meeting was a statement which summarized the findings of the discussions and in which the experts with input from other stakeholders such as health and communication professionals and the food industry, called for concerted actions at all levels to guide consumers in making healthier choices with respect to the fat quality of the diet. The recommendations included:

• improving the fat composition of the diet and thereby contributing significantly to reducing the population risk of cardiovascular disease by making simple dietary changes like exchanging full-fat dairy products with low-fat choices, fatty meats with lean meats and fish, and the use of vegetable rather than saturated animal fats in food preparation and food products.
• providing people with important information on the nutrient content of food products on pack in a clear, usable, understandable way, including energy content per portion size and fat quality.
• using simple language when communicating with the public, e.g. good/healthy fats and bad/unhealthy fats, and using consistent, scientific and coherent language when communicating with health experts.

The emphasis on clear and easy-to-follow guidance to the public was considered vital as was encouraging scientists, health care professionals, governments, food industry, health authorities and media around the world to work together to make sure that their advice is not only heard by the audience but also followed, helping people across the globe to prevent chronic disease and to achieve optimal health.

The international event was the first step of a global campaign to help consumers to make healthier choices about their fat intake and was followed by approximately 20 events worldwide where the messages of the IEM were disseminated.

Note to the editors (not for publication)

The meeting entitled “Health Significance of Fat Quality in the Diet” was held under the auspices of the International Union of Nutrition Sciences (IUNS) and the World Heart Federation, and led by Professor Uauy (president of the IUNS) alongside a scientific Steering Committee comprising:

• Professor Pekka Puska – co-chair (Director General, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland)
• Connie Diekman M.Ed, RD, FADA (Director of University Nutrition, Washington University, St Louis)
• Professor Ibrahim Elmadfa (Director, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna)
• Professor Bert Koletzko (Head of Div. Metabolic Diseases and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich)
• Dr. Hans Zevenbergen (Category Nutrition Director, Unilever Research and Development)

The International Expert Meeting was funded through an unrestricted educational grant from Unilever.

About IUNS

For more information about IUNS, please visit www.iuns.org.

About Unilever

For more information about Unilever, please visit www.unilever.com