Low-Fat Diet Redux at W.H.O.

Worldwide dietary guidelines in the late 20th century promoted a low-fat diet, based in part on the notion that dietary fat, the most energy dense macronutrient, causes excess weight gain. However, high-quality evidence accumulating since then refute a direct association between dietary fat and adiposity. Moreover, substitution of carbohydrates for unsaturated fat can increase insulin resistence and cardiometabolic disease, especially among populations with highly prevalent insulin resistance. In this context, the recent World Health Organization conditional recommendation to carry forward the guidance to limit dietary fat to <30% seems ill-advised and should be reconsidered.