14 DAY TRIAL // Specialists commonly issue warnings about the high intake of fatty foods that can, and will ultimately lead to severe health and weight issues. The latest research in this sense comes to show that, indeed, where fat intake is concerned, most people have already consumed more fat than they need in a lifetime by the time they’re 50, with women being the most prone to find themselves in this situation, the Daily Mail informs.
By the time they reach 50, women have already consumed more fat than they should have, with their average “fat age” being of 92. Oppositely, men fare somewhat better, having a “fat age” of 71, but that still is too much than it’s healthy for either gender category. The conclusion of the research, conducted by the Lloyds Pharmacy chain, is that, by the time women reach their last years, they would have already consumed over 110 years’ worth of fat in chocolate, fast food and other unhealthy foods.
The study also points out that, given the huge spike in fatty food consumption between the ages 40-50 in both men and women, 50 is the critical threshold where health problems become more and more obvious. For the sake of argument, at 30, the average woman has a fat age of approximately 36, as also do men. The spike in fat intake is more marked past 40, with the height being at 50 when, presumably, the risks of being overweight or obese – and consequently having health issues related to these two conditions – increase considerably.
“It used to be said that life begins at 40 but these statistics suggest that for many of us it could be the beginning of years of health problems. By letting people see how ‘old’ they are in terms of fat consumption, we hope to be able [to] provide the impetus some people need to take charge of their weight.” Andy Murdock of Lloyds Pharmacy tells the aforementioned publication. In this sense, Lloyds has already made available a Fat Age Calculator on the official website, which is meant to calculate a person’s fat age depending on real age and the frequency of fatty foods intake.
Both the Calculator and the research are supposed to help people become more aware of what they eat, and especially of the consequences certain foods have on their body and health. In this context, the study says, children are also exposed to obesity and overweight risks, more so than their parents – which translates into that they will probably begin to experience health issues long before the age of 40-50.
Nevertheless, this is not to say that we should ban all foods that contain fat from our life, as nutritionist Johanna Hignett, who has worked with Lloyds on the research, says for the aforementioned publication. “If you have something today that is high in fat, then tomorrow choose from the fruit and vegetable end of the spectrum. People will have to make little sacrifices but we are not saying never eat fatty foods because then life would be boring.” Hignett advises.