Dietary fat is not the origin of weight accumulation.
Original statement
يؤكد النظام أن قلة الحركة وليس الدهون هي الأصل في تراكم الوزن، ويُشجّع على النشاط اليومي البسيط.
verbatim according to source. Translation by the project; the Arabic wording is authoritative.
Translation
Dietary fat is not the origin of weight accumulation.
Origin
- Source status
- Third-party site (unofficial)
- Attribution
- Third-party site (unofficial)
- Origin
- https://altayybat.com/ar/
- Attribution uncertainty
- Unofficial third-party site; lowest attribution level; page fetched 2026-10-25.
- Population concerned
Adults
- Geographic restriction by Elawady
none found
Scientific assessment
Mostly true – Correct at its core, but with limitations or minor inaccuracies.
Certainty of evidence: moderate – Further research may still affect the assessment.
1. What was claimed?
Fat is not the main cause of weight gain.
2. What is demonstrably correct?
In DIETFITS, a healthy low-fat (29% fat) and a healthy low-carbohydrate (45% fat) diet produced similar 12-month weight loss (-5.3 vs -6.0 kg; I-SYS-05).
3. What is wrong or exaggerated?
Fat is energy-dense, so large amounts of fatty foods can contribute to excess energy intake; 'not fat' should not be read as 'fat intake is irrelevant'.
4. What remains unclear?
Long-term weight effects of diets very high in fat (for example unlimited ghee and butter) were not tested in the trial reviewed (I-SYS-05).
5. Which studies support it?
6. Which studies contradict it?
None directly; the trial compared healthy low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets (I-SYS-05). Fat is energy-dense, so large amounts can add to excess energy intake (general nutrition knowledge, not separately sourced).
7. What applies to Germany and Europe?
DIETFITS is a US trial (I-SYS-05); the energy-balance principle applies in Europe.
8. What is known about Egypt?
Not region-specific; the same physiology and evidence apply.
9. What practical conclusion is appropriate?
Focus on overall diet quality and quantity rather than on fat share alone.
Assessment details
- Rationale for certainty of evidence
A large 12-month RCT found no difference in weight loss between low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets; total energy and diet quality matter more than fat share.
- Source quality
Third-party site.
- Regional transferability
High.
- Regional scope of the claim
- general (biological/medical)
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026 provisional
In plain language
A third-party site says that fat in the diet is not what makes people gain weight. A large trial found that low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets led to similar weight loss. So dietary fat is not uniquely fattening, though fatty foods are rich in energy.
Studies on this claim
Studies supporting the claim (1)
-
Low-fat and low-carb diets led to similar weight loss
Gardner CD et al.. JAMA 2018 · PMID 29466592 · DOI 10.1001/jama.2018.0245Randomised controlled trialindependent cross-checkabstract only checkedAfter a year, weight loss was 5.3 kg vs 6.0 kg - no real difference.
Fat share did not change weight loss
Does the study support the specific claim? Yes · Methodological quality: high · Certainty of evidence: see overall assessment of the claim
Original publication · Scientific details
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Compare diets.
- How was the study done?
RCT.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
609.
- What was actually found?
No difference.
- How large was the observed effect?
0.7 kg.
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Total diet quality and quantity matter more than fat share.
- What are the study's limitations?
Adherence.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Supports 'fat is not the origin'.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
High.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Long-term weight maintenance.
No study in this group is marked as key.
Studies contradicting or limiting the claim (0)
No studies in this group.
Studies with mixed or unclear results (0)
No studies in this group.
Regional context
Germany / EU
DIETFITS is a US trial (I-SYS-05); the energy-balance principle applies in Europe.
Egypt
Not region-specific; the same physiology and evidence apply.
What applies in my country?
General scientific assessment
Mostly true Dietary fat share does not by itself determine weight.
This statement concerns biological or medical relationships. The scientific assessment above applies regardless of the country; country-specific food data do not change it.