Low-
fat diets were popular during the 1980s and 1990s, encouraging people to eat
foods Low in fat (or without fat altogether) and instead eat foods high in
carbohydrates. For instance, these diets told people to eat less fat junk
Food or sweet snacks, instead, you can choose low-calorie, and high-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables. These will help people feel full longer, and make any
Diet plan more effective. Also, plan your meals and buy the food you need so that you will not be tempted to turn to fast food when you are hungry.
The general public came to believe, partly due to information from low-fat diet proponents, that carbohydrates were "energy food" and that only fat made people fat. This led to high consumption of low-fat foods rich in refined carbohydrates (notably corn syrup), which led some people to gain more weight.
Some low-fat diets were healthier, focusing on consumption of whole grains, vegetables and lean meats. (See Pritikin diet.) But even these diets did not recognize the importance of essential fatty acids. Some low-fat foods were actually more harmful than the non-low-fat foods, since all fat was removed, both "good" and "bad."