Understanding the Low-Fat Diet The low-fat diet was created in the 1950s as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease. The theory is that eating foods low in fat and cholesterol will help lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Despite being around for decades, the low-fat diet is still the subject of much debate. Critics of the low-fat diet say that it is not effective in reducing heart disease risk and may even be harmful. They argue that eating foods low in fat can lead to weight gain and other health problems,…