A NUTRITIONIST has backed a new health report that is encouraging people to eat more fat as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The National Obesity Forum's report published this week suggests eating fat could halt obesity and instances of Type 2 Diabetes. The report has also blamed previous low fat and low cholesterol messages for the current public health crisis.

Helen Auburn, a nutritional therapist from Old Town agrees and says people should be wary of what food manufacturers add to low-fat foods to replace or enhance flavour.

“I completely agree with this report, eating fat, as long as it is the right types of fat, are beneficial to a healthy lifestyle," she said.

" Avocados, nuts, even full fat milk and butter are good types of fat provided they are part of a balanced diet,” she said.

“If people are buying low-fat alternatives like spread and milk, there are things put in these to make them taste better and these can be damaging to health particularly if it is salt and sugar that is used to make them more tasty.

“I’ve been saying for years that people are frightened of fat - they then become addicted to what is in low-fat foods.

“Fat does not make people fat but carbs and the wrong types of food will make people put on weight although it also does depend on the person’s race, blood, type, age, and lifestyle.”

The report said eating low-fat food and the charge in promoting it was “perhaps the biggest mistake in modern medical history.”

Dr Aseem Malhotra, a senior adviser to the National Obesity Forum, said: "We must urgently change the message to the public to reverse obesity and type 2 diabetes. Eat fat to get slim, don't fear fat, fat is your friend."

The report also said that snacking causes people to become fat, people should stop calorie counting and processed foods claiming to lower cholesterol should be avoided. It also claimed dairy foods are probably protective rather than damaging to health.

But Fiona Dickens, public health programme manager and qualified dietitian at Swindon Borough Council said there was not enough evidence to back the charity’s claims in its report.

“We absolutely disagree with this. When you look at the evidence systematically it feels as if the National Obesity Forum have cherry-picked what they want to see and what fits with their claims. You need to look at all of the information and evidence to understand what the real causes of obesity are,” she said.

“We agree with some of the things they’ve said, cutting sugar is a good thing. Most people know what they need to do to lose weight which is eat a balanced diet with good carbs, good fats

“We see where people are coming from when they worry preservatives or flavourings will be added to low-fat foods. For things like dairy, such as milk, we follow the guidelines and say enjoy the low-fat versions where nothing is added.”