Abstract
Obesity and overweight are a huge concern in the whole world today. In April 2003 the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) presented the report “Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases” (WHO Technical Report Series No. 916). Dietary factors such as foods rich in fat and/or sugar, sugar-sweetened soft drinks and a sedentary lifestyle are focused on in relation to weight gain and obesity. Regular physical activity and a high intake of dietary fibre, and possibly also foods with a low glycaemic index, may decrease the risk. The report is a valuable compilation of global consumption patterns and trends as a basis for nutrient intake goals to prevent dietrelated chronic diseases. However, a discussion among scientists has emerged about the role of fat in overweight and obesity. In this issue of Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition (SJN), Walter Willett and Arne Astrup present their views - in part different, in part concordant - of the scientific evidence behind the association between dietary fat and obesity.