Fats

Drugs that mimic the action of adrenalin can boost protein and cut fat in lamb, beef and pork, according to Donald H. Beermann of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. "We can markedly improve the composition of the carcass from which retail cuts are taken," he said. The drugs also increase the efficiency of meat production, raising yields while decreasing the amount of feed required. David L.

On a recent trip through Southern California, we stopped at a famous delicatessen in the San Fernando Valley. We ordered a simple sandwich and were shocked when the waiter delivered something that stood at least 4 inches high and dripped with Russian dressing. Don't be misled; it was delicious--but it contained enough meat for several sandwiches and enough fat and calories to compete with our favorite fast-food villain, the Big Mac.

Based on studies of pigs, researchers said Tuesday that fat helps fend off illness. Besides keeping a body warmer, fat cells, or adipocytes, produce hormone-like proteins in reaction to invading toxins, behaving much like immune cells that fight disease.

America's largest baby-food manufacturer warned weight-conscious parents Wednesday against carrying the lean diets of babies too far in attempts to keep them from growing up to become fat adults. The Gerber Products Co. said that parents should not overly restrict fat in infant diets and should not give infants skim milk.

Despite their reputation as a healthier alternative to burgers, chicken or fish won't always help reduce fat content in a fast-food meal, according to the August issue of Consumer Reports. The fat and calorie content of chicken varies dramatically depending on how it is prepared, the New York-based magazine reported. "In fact, the skin and dark meat of KFC's Rotisserie Gold chicken helps make it one of the fattiest foods we tested."

Suggestions that a low-fat diet helps reduce the recurrence of breast cancer have reignited interest -- and some debate -- about what level of fat is best to eat. First, a recap: The study involved 2,437 postmenopausal women, ages 48 to 79, who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. All participants received the same medical care, but half were randomly assigned to meet with a nutritionist every two weeks and remained in contact for food advice between visits.

Eating just seems to get dangerouser and dangerouser, as Lewis Carroll's Alice might have put it. It was bad enough having to worry about our intake of artery-clogging saturated fats. But now we've learned there's another kind of fat to watch out for, one that's not listed on the nutrition labels. And, of course, it's in many of the foods we love the most--in cookies, crackers and French fries and in yummy pastries with light, flaky crusts. It's the bad fat du jour: trans fat.

Taco Bell will be the latest fast-food chain to cut artery-clogging trans fats from cooking oils in its U.S. restaurants, the company announced Thursday. The nation's largest seller of quick-service Mexican-style foods uses the oils to fry its nachos, taco salad shells, potatoes, chalupa shells and other items.

Fat is big. You can barely get through a newspaper or magazine without bumping into it--in foods we like, people we love and diseases we wish to avoid. Not only is it big, it's complicated and controversial. Every week, reports say, don't eat fat, or if you do, eat so much of this kind, but avoid that one, and measure these types in your blood. If fat is a blob that is becoming a blur, these pared-down facts may help: Fat is not a four-letter word.