The sugar-fat seesaw: the reason dieting is difficult

The sugar-fat seesaw: while it may sound like a ride at an amusement park, nutritionists say it’s the reason people struggle to follow government guidelines to cut both fat and sugars simultaneously.

A review of 53 scientific papers found a strong and consistent inverse association in the percentage of energy coming from fats and sugars. Diets low in sugars were likely to be high in fat, and vice versa. Nutritionists call this phenomenon the ‘sugar-fat seesaw’.

“A key reason that we see this sugar-fat seesaw is likely to be because source of sugars such as fruit, breakfast cereals and juices are low in fat, while sources of fat such as oils and meat products are low in sugar,” said Dr Michele Sadler, who led the research team.

“This study highlights the need to focus dietary messages on eating a healthy balanced diet and not categorising individual nutrients as good or bad, which could result in unbalanced dietary habits.”

The research was published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. The full report is available here.