Sugar-Fat Seesaw Phenomenon Illustrates Confusion from Dietary Restrictions Provided by Government

When everything you buy is made of sugar, lard and aspartame, it's hard to follow any kind of government health guidelines. And specialized nutrition cook books? Forget about it.

If you're not Gwyneth Paltrow, you probably don't have the time, energy or slaves to prepare your quinoa and Arugula.

Well, a new study show's that you're not alone, folks. Research published today indicates, in fact, that people find it hard to follow government dietary restrictions-a phenomenon referred to as the sugar-fat seesaw.

The study looked at 53 scientific papers and found a strong and consistent inverse association in the percentage of energy coming from fats and sugars. People with diets that are low in sugars seem to be less likely to be high in fat and vice-versa, otherwise known as what nutritionists have labeled the 'sugar-fat seesaw.'

In the United Kingdom, dietary guidelines are noted a bit differently. They are most commonly described in the percentage of daily energy intakes. Therefore, researchers suggest that people might find it difficult to follow advice to reduce the sugars and fats contribution to energy intakes at the same time, something recommended by the government.

 "This study highlights the need to focus dietary messages on eating a healthy balanced diet and not categorising individual nutrients as good or bad, which could result in unbalanced dietary habits," Saddler said, according to a press release.

Not that we really do anything very different over in the good ole' U.S.A. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that one in three adults today are obese in America, alone. The UK still hasn't hit that high mark yet, and for their sake, lets hope they never do. 

More information regarding the study findings can be found in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.