No fat calories in a diet?

Question

what would happen if you went on a diet eating enough calories 1,500 to 2,000...but no fat calories? would that do anything to your body...anything bad i mean?

Answer 1

Your body requires certain dietary fats that it cannot make. Completely eliminating fat from the diet could have dire consequences from essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD). Fortunately, these are reversible by adding the dietary fats that are missing.

The main consequences are skin and nerve problems, although every cell needs some of the fatty acids for signaling, cell membranes, attaching to carbohydrate or proteins that are part of cell structure or signaling, etc.

The lower limit of fat intake should be about 10% of calories. This is what is advocated by Dr. Dean Ornish for cardioprotection. As with most diets, this is pretty hard to consistently achieve because it can limit your food choices. [Most diets fail from "fatigue", lack of interest in the foods available.] Most nutrition experts would advise 20-30% of calories from fat, with the American (actual) average being closer to 40%.

Answer 2

You would be in serious medical danger, even be risking death. Your body requires some fat intake. However, those fats should be healthy fats...nuts, canola oil or olive oil. The least amount of fats your body needs is 20 percent of your daily calories and you can safely consume up to 35 percent. Anything over 35 percent is unnecessary.

Your body needs fats to maintain cell membranes, preserve your immune system and many essential vitamins can only be absorbed through the use of fats.