Everyone has heard the hype about one diet and weight loss plan or another. You'll hear People say things like, "the low carbohydrate diet is the best" or "the cabbage soup diet is the way to go". These and many others are the result of marketing hype based on sketchy research, questionable testimonials and the exploitation of the very little actual results they may have achieved. Now, over the years (it has been proven over and over again), and everyone knows that lowering fat intake is the healthiest and most effective way to lose weight and keep it off. Here are some facts that you should know to help guide you to more healthy eating habits.

The best diet is a balanced one consisting of all of the food groups in the food pyramid. According to the food pyramid, all fats and oils should be eaten sparingly. What this is saying is your diet should be low in fat, and you should try to avoid saturated fats as much as possible. Your fat intake should be no more than 15-20% of your daily intake of calories.

Now, keep in mind that this does not mean you should eat no fat at all. Your body does need some fat in order for certain functions to take place properly, but you just need to keep to the low fat side. Be aware of the fact that just because a food is low in fat does not necessarily mean its not fattening. It could be high in sugar which is not good for your waistline or your health so make sure you look for low fat foods that are also low in sugar.

The American heart association says a low fat diet is "better for low cholesterol and your heart".

The world cancer research fund says a low fat diet is "better for prevention of cancers".

The American dietetic association and the FDA says a low fat diet is "better for your health and weight".

The average American's diet is very high in fat and that is why the average American is getting fatter. Approximately 65% of Americans are overweight with around 30% being obese and what's worse is that an estimated 15-20% are minor children! Consuming too much fat is one of the chief reasons for this alarming statistic.

The average American eats the equivalent of one stick of butter every day. Mayonnaise is practically a staple additive to food (mayo is 100% fat). American children aged 6 to 14 eat in fast food restaurants 157 million times per month. Everyone knows that fast food meals are very high in fat. Almost 50 cents of every US dollar spent on food is spent on eating out. Have you seen very many low- fat restaurants?

In a study done on the weight control behavior of 3000 American adults who lost an average of 60 pounds and kept it off for six years (as appeared in FDA consumer magazine Jan/Feb 2002), less than 1% of these people ate low carbohydrate diets. Most of them ate low fat, high carbohydrate diets to keep their weight down.

Rather than spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year on gimmick diets that just do not have a record of proven long term results (and can be dangerous to your health), simply watch your fat intake more closely and you will look and feel better in the years to come.