In 1980, after long consultation with some of America’s most senior nutrition scientists, the US government issued its first Dietary Guidelines.
…
The most prominent recommendation of both governments was to cut back on saturated fats and cholesterol
…
Look at a graph of postwar obesity rates and it becomes clear that something changed after 1980. In the US, the line rises very gradually until, in the early 1980s, it takes off like an aeroplane.
…
At best, we can conclude that the official guidelines did not achieve their objective; at worst, they led to a decades-long health catastrophe.