We weren't supposed to eat them as they contain cholesterol, the stuff that leads to furring of the arteries and heart problems. Then that piece of advice suddenly disappeared when research suggested that eating foods high in cholesterol doesn't lead to an increase in that substance in the bloodstream. Instead the blame was laid at the door of saturated (ie animal) fat. Not that there were any clinical trials to prove this. The theory was formulated because of epidemiological evidence, the study of nations, usually non-western, where the incidences of heart disease and bowel cancer are lower.



The food industry embraced the idea warmly, and produced a vast range of foods which were claimed to be low in fat (note how the 'saturated' bit got lost.) Eat a diet low in fat and you'll be healthy and slim we were told.

Then a funny thing happened. Lots of people started to get fat. They continue to do so, with childhood obesity being a particular problem.

Meanwhile, on the Atkins diet, a regime high in fat and protein but low in carbohydrate, success was had by some in losing weight. It should have been obvious that this was going to happen, because the nutritionists said it wouldn't do. Not that Atkins is necessarily the answer. The side effects, such as bad breath, constipation and feeling lousy, are well documented, but its record in shedding the pounds punches holes in the theory that a diet low in fat, moderate in protein and stuffed with carbs is the way to go.

With advances in the analysis of blood it is no longer necessary to wait until someone keels over before the effects of their diet can be assessed, and it's here that another myth, the one that says cholesterol is bad for you, bites the dust. It now emerges that there are two types. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol helps prevent the build up of deposits on artery walls whilst low density lipoprotein (LDL) has the opposite effect. The proportion of HDL to LDL cholesterol is as significant as the overall level in the bloodstream. Has anyone apologised for the previous duff information that was imparted? Like hell.

There's a quietly emerging school of thought that takes dietary theory away from the idea that protein, fat and carbohydrate should be consumed in specified percentages. Instead we should be eating foodstuffs that have been around as long as humans have. Staples should be meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts and pulses, food that the body is designed to process. There is logic to this theory, but still the establishment continues to pump out the guff that a low fat diet is desirable when evidence doesn,t back this up.

To summarise, the misinformation that's been bandied about for the last thirty years:

Eggs are bad for you - no they're not.

Cholesterol is bad for you - not necessarily.

Fat is bad for you - wrong again.

Here's a better piece of advice: Nutritionists are bad for you.