Why You Need Fats
By Dr. Sears
Not all fats are bad; you just need to know the difference between fats you need, and fats you
don’t need. Here are some of the top reasons why you need fats:
1. Fats provide energy
Gram for gram fats are the most efficient source of food energy. Each gram of fat provides nine
calories of energy for the body, compared with four calories per gram of carbohydrates and
proteins.
2. Fats build healthy cells
Fats are a vital part of the membrane that surrounds each cell of the body. Without a healthy cell
membrane, the rest of the cell couldn’t function.
3. Fats build brains
You need fats because they provide the structural components not only of cell membranes in
the brain, but also of myelin, the fatty insulating sheath that surrounds each nerve fiber, enabling
it to carry messages faster.
4. Fats help the body use vitamins
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the fat in foods helps the
intestines absorb these vitamins into the body.
5. Fats make hormones
Fats are structural components of some of the most important substances in the body, including
prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that regulate many of the body’s functions. You need
fats because they regulate the production of sex hormones, which explains why some teenage
girls who are too lean experience delayed puberty.
6. Fat provides healthier skin
One of the more obvious signs of fatty acid deficiency is dry, flaky skin. In addition to giving skin
its rounded appeal, the layer of fat just beneath the skin (called subcutaneous fat) acts as the
body’s own insulation to help regulate body temperature. Lean people tend to be more sensitive
to cold; obese people tend to be more sensitive to warm weather.
7. Fat forms a protective cushion for your organs
Many of the vital organs, especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines are cushioned by fat that
helps protect them from injury and hold them in place. (True, some of us “overprotect” our
bodies.) As a tribute to the body’s own protective wisdom, this protective fat is the last to be
used up when the body’s energy reserves are being tapped into.
Fats WordSearch
Word List Sentences
1. Not all _______________________ are bad.
2. Fats are the most _______________________ source of food energy.
3. Each gram of fat provides nine _______________________ of _______________________.
4. A gram of _______________________ or _______________________ only provides four
calories of energy.
5. Fats are a vital part of the _______________________ that surrounds each
_______________________ of the body.
6. Fats provide the structural _______________________ of cell membranes in the
_______________________ and also of _______________________, the fatty insulating
sheath that surrounds each _______________________ fiber.
7. Fats help the brain carry _______________________ faster.
8. Fat in foods helps the _______________________ absorb the _______________________
into the body.
9. Fats help the body regulate the production of sex _______________________ in the body.
10. Dry, flaky skin is a sign of _______________________ (2 words) deficiency.
11. Fats help regulate body _______________________.
12. The layer of fat just below the skin is called the _______________________ fat layer.
13. Lean people tend to be more sensitive to _______________________ weather.
14. Obese (overweight) people tend to be more sensitive to _______________________
weather.
15. Many of the _______________________ organs such as the kidneys, heart, and intestines
are _______________________ by fat.
Fats WordSearch