We know so much about the effects of fat on health that we often tend to forget the role fat plays. We have to remember that fat is an essential nutrient that is needed for us to stay healthy. It is a high source of energy and carries fat-soluble vitamins needed for proper growth and development. One has to be very careful with fat as too much of it can increase the risk of heart disease, can bring obesity and other health problems into our lives. Fat contributes important taste and textural qualities to the food that we intake making it a part of enjoying food. Therefore when the food tastes good we tend to forget about nutrition and overeat thus causing all the trouble.