• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Relationship. MFP and Fats.

PNJB

PNJB

Well-Known Member
Messages
136
Location
Hertfordshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
In "MyFitnessPal" reports, what is the significance and relationship of the "Fats" report as opposed to Satfats/Polyfats/Monofats and Trans Fats/ I know what all the latter are, but why report "Fats", which does not seem to be a summation of all the others? I have requested clarification from MFP but no response received. Hoping somebody here has a clue!
 
PNJB said:
In "MyFitnessPal" reports, what is the significance and relationship of the "Fats" report as opposed to Satfats/Polyfats/Monofats and Trans Fats/ I know what all the latter are, but why report "Fats", which does not seem to be a summation of all the others? I have requested clarification from MFP but no response received. Hoping somebody here has a clue!
Click to expand...

If you look at the individual breakdowns for each food you will see that not all of them will breakdown the fat total. The app will only total Satfats/Polyfats/Monofats and Trans Fats where thay are listed. For example, the bacon I had for lunch had 18.9g of fat of which 6.1 was sat and the rest not identified. There is a similar issue with carbs. The app is only as good as the data.

Regards

Bluebell
 
It's peer added data so it will only have what people put in - I doubt many break down the fats, when I personally add anything I just add calories carbs and fat - I don't break the fat down
 
MFP is a guide, for thousands.
Better than calculating the estimated fats ourselves.

A very arduous job, even as an estimate.
They take that job and make it a pleasure.

Maybe something more precise might cost a lot more!
 
MyFitnessPal's response to my "Fats" question, which explains totally!

"Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Our apologies for any confusion with how Fat is tracked within the program. The Total Fat column represents the total of "Total Fat" as a category, but not necessarily the total of all the sub categories of fat.

The reason is that it is not mandatory that food nutritional labels include the break down of fat in the sub categories. However, if the information has been provided we will then show it in the sub categories.

As for the Saturated Fat, this is also still a sub category of the total fat, with a limit. The goal is actually meant to be a limit. Unfortunately, there's not a very tidy way to make this evident, given the screen real estate available to apps, and our desire to keep the nutrition table neatly organized.

Our recommendation is that folks should not surpass the total fat goal in grams, and their intake of saturated fat (definitely the least healthy!) should not be more than a portion of that intake. This is why we put a "goal" on Saturated fat, and leave the other sub-categories without a goal. If users stay within (or under) the saturated fat goal, then the rest of their fat intake will naturally be from the more healthful options of mono or poly unsaturated fats.

So in summary the best way to look at the Fat category is that you should try not to surpass your "Total Fat", and while trying not to surpass that total, out of that number your Saturated Fat should not be more than the recommended amount."
 
Back
Top