Life imitating art. A new study by the European Society of Cardiology Congress, in Barcelona, suggests that Woody Allen’s futuristic film “Sleeper,” released in 1973, may actually have been onto something with its preposterous claim that “deep fat, steak, and cream pies” are the keys to healthful eating.
The new study, published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, hasn’t gone that far, but it does posit that low-fat diets could raise the risk of early death by almost 25%.
From The Telegraph:
The Lancet study of 135,000 adults found those who cut back on fats had far shorter lives than those enjoying plenty of butter, cheese and meats.
Researchers said the study was at odds with repeated health advice to cut down on fats.
But the reason for this finding is not as simple — or liberating — as it appears at first blush. The reason low-fat diets tend to be dangerous is that people on them rely too much on carbohydrates, found in bread, pasta and rice. The news is even worse for those who carbohydrate consumption includes refined sugars. These people face a 28% higher risk of early death.
Still there is no denying the finding that “consuming high levels of all fats cut mortality by up to 23 per cent.”
