The Forty-Year Low-Fat Folly
It seemed to make sense: If you don’t want fat on your body, don’t put fat into your body. Fat has 9 calories per gram (about 120 calories in a tablespoon), compared to just 4 calories per gram for carbohydrates or protein. So, in the 1970s, prominent nutrition experts began recommending that everyone follow a low-fat diet, in the belief that eating less fat would automatically help lower calorie intake and prevent obesity.