Clarifying Butter

The Rise of Low-fat Foods in America

The idea of “low fat” consumerism emerged in the late 1960s and 1970s over concerns of health but also an idealized body image.  In America, obesity rates had risen in the post-war period due to a more sedentary lifestyle, a more prosperous nation, and the increase in processed foods.

In 1967, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article that pointed the blame on fat—saturated fat—as the culprit that caused obesity.  Unbeknownst, the authors of the article were funded by the sugar industry, who skewed their research against fat and to decrease the link between sugar consumption, obesity, and heart disease. This research shaped scientific discussion and societal norms regarding a healthy diet and consumerism.

Obesity was not only an inconvenience to the average American but a nationwide issue that was addressed socially, culturally, and by health professionals.  Since then, “low-fat” diets and “low-fat/no-fat” foods have flooded the market and reshaped how many Americans eat. At the same time, however, American consume more sugar, and when converted to starches, cause fatty liver diseases, among other heat issues.

How Low Fat Altered the Composition of Milk

From the 1950s until the 1970s, milk was seen as a perfect food, filled with nutrients that made one strong and healthy. Historically, “whole milk,” or milk that had not had its cream removed, was concerned the ideal drink and while milk without its cream was considered a drink of poverty.

Milk’s transformation was designed to meet consumers’ needs. Pasteurization and cream separation enabled the production of skim and other fat-reduced forms which allowed milk to fit into a low-fat diet that was sought in the late 1960s.

Low-Fat Consumption & Fad Diets

In the early 20^th century, the attitude toward food and diet included those that promoted thinness. Being voluptuous, which was highly regarded in the Victorian era, had become outdated by the Progressive Era. Slimness became the standard of a national body image. The food industry aided this campaign and saw this as a chance to make a profit. After the scathing report on fat in 1967, renewed focus was put toward the manufacturing and consumerism of “lite” low-fat items such as low-fat cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, low-fat potato chips and cookies, and diet frozen dinners. From the 1980s an array of fad diets, including Prevention, South Beach, and Mediterranean diet was followed which promoted either the consumption of “healthy fats” or low fats. Consumers believed that following a low-fat diet would lead to a healthy lifestyle and aid in weight loss even though this was not supported by medical evidence. On the contrary, low-fat diets often made people fatter. Americans assumed that they could eat as much as they wanted if the food was low- or no-fat without considering their caloric intake. The dietary knowledge of fat for consumers was skewed and limited.

Low Fat & Its Cultural Influence

The ideology of low fat simplified the scientific understanding between saturated fats and heart disease. Health professionals promoting the low-fat idea wanted something easier for the public to understand regarding fats in diets. Low fat ideology was made to aid weight loss, but it paralleled the cultural standard of thinness. The amount of processed food consumed also increased from 1977-1995, but, in many cases, it was marketed as low fat.