At 01:47 PM 2/4/06 +0000, Ashley Moran wrote:
>do ordinary (ie high-carb/ low-fat 
>whatever-the-government-tells-me-to-eat-is-right) people
>actually realise that fat is a fuel for day-to-day energy?

No, they don't.  Most of my friends and relatives think the same way.

They think fat on the plate == fat on their ass.  They think of fat the 
same way they think of sugar, salt, alcohol or recreational drugs.  They 
think "It's BAD for me but it feels good," so they try to limit their 
intake to as low a number as they can live with while still mooing happily 
in their pens.  In fact, thanks to TV commercials claiming sugar-water 
(like Gatorade) and candy bars (like Snickers) are "good sources of quick 
energy," I'd wager that the average "civilized" person believes sugar is 
the lesser of two evils compared to fat.

I think a reframing is in order.  The word "fat" has too many meanings.  We 
should start calling them "Lipid Fuels".  Ask your mum: "Have you had your 
lipid fuels today?"

LVX
TF