Assessment of Cholesterol and Fat in Diet        Name ____________________________
from 'Diet for a New America' Study Guide
Introduction:  Fat is an important nutrient for our bodies. It is the most concentrated source of energy, and helps many of the body's important jobs. Fat is actually found in most foods; all plants have fat in their cells, and it is found in animals' fatty tissue.
    There are two kinds of fats; saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are harder to digest. They are found in large quantities mostly in animal products. Our bodies can make them, so they are not necessary in our diet. Eating too much saturated fat is dangerous and causes many diseases. Unsaturated fatty acids are found in large quantities in grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. They are not made in our bodies, so we need to have them in our diet, as about 3% of our calories.
    Cholesterol is a necessary substance related to fat that is used in the body to transport fats to those parts of the body that needs them. Natural cholesterol is made in our bodies and we make what we need. We have no use for foreign cholesterol that comes in when animal products are eaten, so we have to eliminate it. We can only eliminate 100 mg. of extra cholesterol a day. Eating cholesterol above this amounts leads to these substances entering the bloodstream and getting deposited on the inner linings of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a disease that results from these depositions narrowing the arteries. This accumulation of deposits in the arteries can begin in small children. If a fatty diet is maintained, the disease gets worse, and many problems result.

Purpose:  To learn how much cholesterol and fat you consume in one day, and how this effects your health.

Materials: Chart showing cholesterol and fat content in common foods.

Procedure:  1- day 1. Students to keep track of everything that they eat for three days.
                      2- day 3. Analyze the diets using the following steps:
                                                    - "Cholesterol and Fat" charts. (http://www.ntwrks.com/~mikev/chart1a.htm)
                                                    - Students figure out how much fat and cholesterol they consume per day.
                                                    - Correlate fat and cholesterol intake with the health risks they may cause.
                    3- Use the following table to determine the risks of cancer based on the fat intake. Various studies have shown a high correlation between a high fat diet and the risks of getting breast, prostate, and colon cancer. It should be noted that this is only a rough guide and that there are other contributing factors including genetics, fitness, and stress.

Breast Cancer (Women)
Daily saturated fat intake and corresponding risks:
Risk:
low
med. low
medium
med. high
high
Fat (grams)
0-50
50-80
80-110
110-135
135-160
Prostate Cancer (Men)
Daily saturated fate intake and corresponding risks:
Risk:
low
med. low
medium
med. high
high
Fat (grams)
0-45
45-70
70-95
95-120
120-160
    Eating over 100mg./day of cholesterol increases the risk of heart attacks. The more one eats over the 100 mg. limit, the more likely one is to have a heart attack. The average American man eats over 300 mg. of cholesterol a day and has 50% of dying of a heart attack.
                5- Discussion about what was learned, and ways to reduce fat and cholesterol from one's diet.
 
 
 
 
 

                6- Attempt a vegan diet for a length of time (one day to a week),, then try a high fat, animal-based diet for the same length of time, then compare and discuss:  -How did it make you feel?  Which is healthier?  How difficult was it to do?  Which do you prefer?  Which tasted better?