Good Fat, Bad Fat: What You Actually Need to Know Week 4 Fats

Fats – Friend or Enemy?

Vital Wellness Weekly – Week 4

Did you know fat was once blamed for America’s heart disease epidemic—only to find out years later that the real culprit might have been sugar and man-made fats?
That’s right. For decades, fat was labeled the villain of nutrition. People swapped butter for margarine, eggs for egg whites, and loaded their shelves with “low-fat” everything. But science has evolved—and so should our understanding.

So far in this series, we’ve unpacked what a healthy diet looks like, how much protein you actually need, and the powerful role fruits and vegetables play in your daily energy, immunity, and digestion. This week, we’re tackling one of the most misunderstood nutrients of all: fat.

Let’s break it down once and for all:

• What kinds of fat are good, which ones are bad, and which are just outdated myths

• How much fat you actually need

• Why balance, not fear, is the key to long-term health

🔍 A Brief History of Fat

For most of human history, fats were prized. They were energy-rich, helped us survive harsh winters, and were especially valuable during times of high stress or low food availability.

Then came the industrial age—and with it, artificial trans fats. In the early 1900s, manufacturers discovered how to take natural oils and make them solid at room temperature. Think margarine, shortening, and processed snack foods. These man-made trans fats were cheap, shelf-stable, and heavily marketed.

But decades of consumption revealed something troubling: a spike in heart disease, diabetes, and inflammation. Scientists originally blamed all fats, but research now shows it wasn’t the natural fats causing harm—it was artificial trans fats.