How our bodies use fat

Fat acts as a cushion for the internal organs, insulation for weather extremes, a storage for energy, and keeps your skin and hair healthy and supple. The body can make fat from protein or carbohydrates, but it makes fat most readily out of fats already in the diet. For example, if you were to eat one thousand fat calories and one thousand complex carbohydrate calories, the fat calories would be converted into body fat more quickly. Our dietary need for fat is about one tablespoon daily. Yet the average American adult consumes between six to eight tablespoons a day. Although our bodies need fat, we should focus on reducing the overall amount of fats we consume in order to reduce the risk of serious health problems. For more information on nutrition, contact a health care professional.