WASHINGTON - Margarine products are at the top of the list of foods consumers should choose to reduce their weight and improve overall health, according to new guidelines issued yesterday by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The new NHLBI Obesity Guidelines recommend that consumers select “light” or “diet” margarines as a beneficial part of a weight reduction plan, since these products, along with reduced-fat versions of milk, yogurt, and cheese found in the dairy case, are lower in fat and calories.

The new guidelines also emphasize that, “whether or not you’re trying to lose weight, you can eat healthy when dining out, if you know how.” Tips include asking for margarine products rather than butter to be served with the meal; the visible fat from poultry or meat to be trimmed off; all butter, gravy or sauces to be left off a dish; and, salad dressing to be served on the side.

The recommendation to include margarine products in a healthy eating plan has been supported by eight recent research papers/studies involving nearly 70,000 people, that confirm what leading health groups, including the NHLBI and the American Heart Association (AHA), have been saying for years -- that margarine, particularly the softer varieties (e.g., tub, liquid), is the tablespread of choice in a heart-healthy diet.

“We are pleased to see that new recommendations continue to confirm what these leading health professional groups have been saying for years about margarine products,” states Debra R. Judelson, M.D., FACC, FACP, director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Institute of Southern California and immediate past president of the American Medical Women’s Association. “Substituting margarine products for butter provides a dramatic benefit for our patients. In fact, a simple substitution like using soft margarine instead of butter over a week's time can save you an entire day's worth of saturated fat.”

About 60 percent of the margarine consumers purchase today are tub and liquid products, the types of products that health groups suggest consumers choose. According to the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers, there has been more than a 30 percent reduction in the average fat content of margarine products since 1980, in response to consumer demand. As a result, margarine products currently being marketed are lower in total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and calories than ever before.