Is Fat The New Hero?

Written By Keith Loh

Challenge to the Reader - Don’t believe me.

Seriously — don’t.

If you think this is fringe, pseudoscience, or some keto-carnivore cult pitch — good. That means you’re still curious.

Real science is always challenged. It’s never “settled.” Dogma pretends to be untouchable.

So here’s my challenge: read the papers, read the books, check the evidence for yourself. If I’m wrong, show me a better way. I’m open. But remember: it’s not my health on the line. It’s yours.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only. I’m not your doctor. I’m an InsulinIQ-certified metabolic health coach and an ICF-certified coach. That combination matters: doctors diagnose and prescribe, I help you bridge the gap between knowing, understanding, and doing. My role is not to replace your doctor but to help you work with them more effectively. Always consult your healthcare provider before making major changes to diet, medication, or treatment.

TL;DR

  • Sugar, starch, and ultra-processed foods — not fat — are the real drivers of insulin resistance and chronic disease.

  • Cholesterol isn’t a villain; it’s a structural and hormonal building block your body makes on purpose.

  • The triglyceride-to-HDL ratio (TG/HDL) is one of the best markers of metabolic health. Aim for < 1.5

  • Southeast Asia’s carb-heavy diet (rice, sugar drinks, condensed milk) has collided with “low-fat” dogma — fueling diabetes, fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome.

  • Fear fat? You’ve been misled. Fear sugar, fear processed junk, fear dogma.

I Know How This Sounds

You’re going to think I’ve lost it. That I’ve been reading too many fringe blogs. That I’ve fallen off the deep end with beef and butter. That I’m dangerously wrong — maybe even irresponsible.

You might call this pseudoscience. A health cult. You might think I’m attacking doctors. Or trying to sell something.

I’m not.

I’m a Singaporean in hospitality. I feed people. I’ve spent two years digging into this because something isn’t adding up.

This is for anyone who did everything “right” — low fat, high fiber, less salt, less red meat, more cardio, more pills — and still ended up sick.

If there’s even a chance we’ve been wrong about fat, cholesterol, and chronic disease… then someone needs to say it out loud.

I’m Not a Doctor. I’m Just Paying Attention.

I trust our systems. Our obsession with data. But I also see what’s happening around me: people getting sicker, younger. Tired. Overweight. On long-term meds. Not from laziness or lack of willpower — they were following the rules.

So I started digging.

Two Years Down the Rabbit Hole

I wasn’t sick. I just didn’t want to end up that way.

Two years ago, I turned 50. I decided I want to live the next 50 even better — with strength, clarity, and joy, not meds, fatigue, and decline.

What I found was a mix of outrage and relief. And it changed how I live.

We’ve Been Taught to Fear the Wrong Things

You know the script:

  • “Don’t eat too many eggs. Too much fat gives you high cholesterol.”

  • “Avoid red meat. Eat less salt. Stick to rice.”

  • “Use vegetable oil. It’s healthier.”

  • “Cholesterol causes heart disease.”

So we cut fat and loaded up on rice, bread, noodles, juices, and biscuits. We believed fat made us fat.

But what if it’s sugar — and ultra-processed food — that’s been quietly wrecking our health?

The Real Culprit: Sugar. Carbs. Ultra-Processed Food.

Look around Southeast Asia: white rice, Milo, bubble tea, condensed milk in everything. Add factory snacks, seed oils, sweetened drinks, low-fat yogurts with 18 g of sugar.

We removed the fat. We replaced it with sugar and starch.

And we’re paying the price:

  • Type 2 diabetes everywhere

  • Fatty liver in kids

  • High triglycerides

  • Metabolic syndrome by your mid-30s

We’ve been chasing cholesterol while ignoring insulin resistance — the real fire.

Cholesterol Is Not the Villain

Your body makes cholesterol on purpose:

  • Hormones (testosterone, estrogen, cortisol)

  • Cell membranes

  • Bile acids (to digest fat, absorb vitamins A, D, E, K)

  • Brain structure (60% fat by dry weight)

  • Vitamin D synthesis

LDL — the so-called “bad cholesterol” — is just the delivery truck. You don’t blame the trucks when the roads are damaged. You fix the roads.

And what’s damaging our roads? Sugar. Inflammation. Ultra-processed food. Insulin resistance.

Books like The Big Fat Surprise (Teicholz), Good Calories, Bad Calories (Taubes), Outlive (Attia), and Blind Spots (Makary) explain how this story got flipped.

This Is Not the Doctors’ Fault

Doctors know the system is broken. But they’re trapped by outdated guidelines. Speaking out risks their license and livelihood.

So no, I don’t blame them.

But I’m in hospitality. I feed people. I believe food is not just calories — it’s energy, health, and life. That’s my responsibility.

The System Can’t Change that Easily

Because changing the story means admitting decades of wrong:

  • Governments revising food policy

  • Pharma justifying billions spent on statins

  • Big Food losing its sugar-laced low-fat empire

  • Doctors retraining against old dogma

But staying asleep is worse.

This Is the Crossroads

One path is familiar: labels, “heart-healthy” logos, meds, hope.

The other path? Wake up. Eat real food. Stop fearing fat. Cut sugar. Question everything. Reclaim your health.

And you get stronger. Clearer. More alive.

Why Singapore Should Lead

We’re small, smart, fast. If any country can pivot, it’s us. We could slash healthcare costs, empower doctors, and age with strength.

Why not us?

I Don’t Expect You to Believe Me

You’ve heard the opposite your whole life. But if I’m even partly right… wouldn’t it change everything?

So don’t take my word.

References

  • Yeh, C. J., Chang, H. Y., Pan, W. H., & Chen, H. J. (2019). Elevated triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio is associated with insulin resistance in healthy individuals. Lipids in Health and Disease, 18(1), 161. https://lipidworld.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12944-019-1123-3

  • Baneu, F., Martínez-Gómez, D., & Taboada-Iglesias, J. (2024). Triglyceride to HDL-C ratio as a surrogate marker of insulin resistance: Evidence from a population-based study. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 15, 11274455. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11274455

  • Chang, L. C., Kuo, H. C., & Chen, Y. H. (2025). Triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio as a marker for insulin resistance in Asian populations. Scientific Reports, 15, 85672. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-85672-1

  • Iwani, N. A. K. Z., Jalaludin, M. Y., Zin, R. M. W. M., Fuziah, M. Z., Hong, J. Y. H., Abqariyah, Y., … Wan Nazaimoon, W. M. (2017). Triglyceride to HDL-C ratio is associated with insulin resistance in overweight and obese children. Scientific Reports, 7, 40055. https://www.nature.com/articles/srep40055

  • Canhada, S. L., Ferreira, S. R. G., & Ajzen, S. A. (2023). Ultra-processed foods consumption and metabolic syndrome: A cross-sectional study in Brazilian adults. Diabetes Care, 46(2), 365–372. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36516280

  • Lane, M. M., Davis, J. A., Beattie, S., Gómez-Donoso, C., Loughman, A., O’Neil, A., … Jacka, F. N. (2024). Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of incident metabolic syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 384, e077310. https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-077310

Books

  • Attia, P. (2023). Outlive: The science and art of longevity. Harmony Books.

  • Lustig, R. H. (2021). Metabolical: The lure and the lies of processed food, nutrition, and modern medicine. Harper Wave.

  • Makary, M. (2019). Blind spots: Why we fail to see the solution right in front of us. Bloomsbury.

  • Taubes, G. (2007). Good calories, bad calories: Fats, carbs, and the controversial science of diet and health. Knopf.

  • Taubes, G. (2010). Why we get fat: And what to do about it. Anchor Books.

  • Teicholz, N. (2014). The big fat surprise: Why butter, meat and cheese belong in a healthy diet. Simon & Schuster.

Podcasts & Online Sources

Final Challenge

Don’t believe me.

Challenge me. Challenge this article. Challenge every word of it.

Because real science isn’t about blind faith. It’s about curiosity, argument, and proof. Dogma says “don’t question.” Science says “prove me wrong.”

So read the studies. Read the books. Check your own bloodwork. Run the numbers.

I’m not asking you to take my side. I’m asking you to take your own health seriously enough to look for yourself.

After all, it’s not my health at stake. It’s yours.

Keith Loh
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