Use of Olestra in a Nutrition Education Program

ABSTRACT

A 12-week study was conducted to evaluate a nutrition education program in which food products containing the fat substitute olestra were made available to healthy subjects. Forty-four female adults were randomly assigned to either an olestra or a non-olestra group. The olestra products were shortening, potato chips, oven-ready French fries_s and a mayonnaise-type salad dressing. Response to the products was positive, but consumption was lower than expected, possibly because olestra replaced only about one-third of the dietary fat in each food and therefore did not substantially reduce the caloric value. Also, comments from subjects suggested they may have internalized the health message that shortening, fried foods, and salad dressings are not good choices for a low fat diet, so they felt conflict about consuming the products. Subjects in both groups reduced dietary fat intake to approximately 30% of total calories. Responses to a questionnaire suggested that subjects with access to the olestra products experienced less deprivation while reducing dietary fat intake than subjects without access to the products.