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AP - The percentage of American children who are overweight or obese appears to have leveled off after a 25-year increase, according to new figures that offer a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dismal battle.

What a confusing topic our spreads have become.

Margarine was invented with the intention to be a healthier roduct than butter. In the late 1960's when studies found people who had high cholesterol were having more heart 5v3z8b the food science community went about trying to lower the cholesterol intake of consumers. Since butter contains cholesterol, the search was on for a substitute.

Cholesterol is a naturally occurring fat in all animals. It's made in the liver and does serve some good purposes (it's a precursor to vitamin D). But too much can clog our arteries and lead to heart and artery disease.

So the bright idea was to take corn oil, which is cholesterol free (as are all plant oils) and make a yellow stick of spread out of it.

A decade or so later scientists found that cholesterol in the diet is not, in fact, the primary cause of elevated cholesterol levels in the blood. In fact, saturated fats (those solid at room temperature) are more responsible for raising the levels of so-called bad cholesterol. Now let's take a look at that unsaturated corn oil margarine. Ooops! They had to saturate it (a process filling certain spots in the structure with hydrogen atoms) to make it solid so it would look and feel more like butter. Now that it's solid, it's not so good for you anymore. The idea of margarine being "healthy" because it contained no cholesterol spirulina powder australia in the eyes of the nutrition science community to "unhealthy" because it's a saturated fat. Now we know the trans fats (those that are changed from unsaturated to saturated) are so unhealthy they are becoming banned in some places. Other oils have been replaced in commercial products over the years because they contain coconut oil or palm oil, both of which are naturally more saturated because of their chemical composition.

Fortunately, there are many other options available. While I wouldn't choose a stick of margarine over a stick of butter, margarine comes in many forms that are more healthy because they are less solid.

A tub of margarine is more healthy than a stick because it's less saturated (you can tell because it's softer). The squeeze

margarines are still more healthy (more liquid, less solid). The spray margarines are best of all if you're watching your blood lipids.

The simple rule is, the more liquid (the less solid) the better these are for your cholesterol levels.

Many of the less-solid forms are also lower in fat and Calories too--and we're always watching those!

Laurie Beebe, a registered dietitian for over 25 years, assists people from all walks of life in changing their diet for better health. Certified in Adult Weight Management by the CDR, Laurie has transitioned into life coaching to better implement changes in people's environments. No matter how much people know about what they 'should' be doing differently, they don't alter their habits without making adjustments in their surroundings and their awareness. Coaching helps lead people to permanent changes by helping them set their own goals and design their own action plans. Please visit Laurie's website for more information on personal coaching and diet coaching, at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com