Note that unsaturated fats, which include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, offer health benefits as long as they do not exceed 30 percent of your total calories. Your body uses fat as a source of energy. Fats also help absorb vitamins A, D, E and K into the bloodstream. As long as you do not consume an excessive amount, fat plays a major role in growth and development. Adding fat to your diet helps you add flavor to your food and achieve the feeling of fullness.

How much trans fat are we eating?

The Food and Drug Administration has estimated that the average American consumes the most trans fat in baked goods (40 percent), followed by animal products (21 percent), margarines (17 percent), fried potatoes (8 percent), potato chips, corn chips and popcorn (5 percent), shortening (4 percent), salad dressing (3 percent) and breakfast cereal and candy (1 percent each). The general recommendation for trans fat is to limit it to less than 1 percent of your total daily calories.

You may have the impression that the crackdown on trans fats has eliminated them from the food supply. This is not so. A 2008 study at the University of Minnesota found trans fats in many spreads, baked goods and salty snacks, including products that by law are allowed to list no trans fats but even though they have about half a gram a serving -- and we all know how unrealistic those alleged serving sizes are for many people.