Facing the fat — and the facts

Early in 2006, the publication of three major reports from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) caused quite a stir. They showed clearly that modest reductions in total dietary fat over an eight-year period do not lower the risk of coronary artery disease, breast cancer, or colon cancer in postmenopausal American women.

It's understandable that these findings were greeted with disappointment, confusion, and frustration. Many interpreted the results to mean that dietary fat does not influence health — or that nutrition itself is unimportant. Now that the furor has settled down and several months have passed, we can view the results in perspective.