Pattern of Fat Intake in Developing Countries

In contrast to the substantial body of information now available even in many developing countries on intakes of calories, proteins, and even some vitamins and minerals, data on fat intakes are scanty. One reason is that fat comes to us in two ways, as fat per se and as hidden fat in the various articles of food consumed, which are difficult to compute. The other is that it is not easy to define optimum levels of fat intake when consumption variations are several-fold. Yet fats are important as carriers of the essential fatty acids, linolenic and to a lesser extent linolenic; these are known to be the precursors of prostaglandins which are synthesised in practically every organ in the body and have an enormous range of vital functions.