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Food Values and Adulterations: Fats

Fats. These form about 15 per cent by weight of the body of an average man, but the amount varies greatly with food, exercise, age and other conditions. As a general rule any excess of the diet tends to be converted into fat and stored in the body. But the tendency to fatness or leanness cannot be controlled by the diet alone. It depends also on individual peculiarities which are not well understood. Fats occur chiefly in animal foods, as meat and dairy products. They are also abundant in some vegetable products, such as olives and cottonseed. From these they are expressed as oil. They occur to a less extent in some cereals, as oatmeal and corn, and also in all common edible nuts.

Fats may be stored in various parts of the body in masses, or may be scattered through the tissues in minute particles. The quantities present in meat vary from less than 10 per cent in some cuts of beef and veal, to over 40 per cent in a side of pork, or over 80 per cent in fat salt pork.