NEWS COPY
The average adult will glug down the equivalent of five and a half baths full of COOKING OIL in their lifetime, a study found.
The staggering figure – which equates to six and half litres or 11 pints of cooking oil per person every year – emerged in a study of 2,000 adults.
That amounts to 57,500 calories – equivalent to 320 bags of crisps per year or five and a half bathtubs worth of oil over a lifetime.
But despite this, the survey found just seven per cent of the population believe they are consuming too much oil, even though less than five tablespoons of oil equates to a woman’s entirely daily fat allowance.
Priya Tew, dietician at Frylight, which commissioned the study, said: "Oils have long been high on the food trends agenda, with coconut and olive oils often a talking point in press and on social media.
“So, it’s worrying that people are so in the dark when it comes to the level of fat and calories that oil can add.
“Fat is something our bodies need, but we don’t need a large amount of it.
“And while many cooking oils can offer health benefits when used in the right quantities, it’s important to manage the amount consumed.”
With the typical adult using two tablespoons of oil three and half times a week, the survey reveals a worrying lack of knowledge about the pros and cons of cooking with oil.
For instance, nearly 40 percent of people make no effort to avoid saturated fats which can increase cholesterol - carrying a risk of heart disease.
More concerning is one in ten people believe that trans fats are actually healthier than other types of fats. In fact, trans fats (generated by industrial processing) are considered the worst offenders by nutritionists and dieticians.
Both trans and saturated fats can increase levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood – trans fats have also been shown to lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL) in the body.
Conversely, one in five people aren’t aware that fats can have some health-giving properties, such as vitamins and essential fatty acids.
Paul Fraser of MH Foods, which makes Frylight, added: “We’re on a mission to encourage people to make better food choices, and believe we can do that by making healthy cooking easier.
”Frylight’s unique product recipe and pump spray allows consumers to accurately control the amount of oil they use to cook, dramatically cutting calorie intake without any compromise on taste quality.”
ENDS
