Obesity and Non-Stick Pans

It may be the case that obesity is caused by a number of different things, but it is also true that the consumption of too much fat contributes to the condition. This is something parents of young children may have to watch carefully.

Adults, as well as children, easily become fond of fried food, because this manner of cooking sweetens the taste of the food, whatever fat is used to cook it. Grilling, which can be less of a problem, has a similar effect, and so too does roasting.

But the real villain where fat consumption is concerned is frying, because the food often has fat added to it, the foremost purpose of which is to prevent meat from sticking to the cooking surface.

Of course it is the case that using oil or margarine for this purpose is a step up from using butter or lard, however they are still fats and best avoided altogether if at all possible. One way to do this is to use non-stick cookware, and leave out the extra fat completely.

This style of cookware has come in for some criticism recently, which suggested that there is a danger to pets. There has been much analysis on the possibility that the deaths of some caged birds were linked to injurious fumes from heated non-stick surfaces. However it's important to understand that all the evidence in this regard has been related to Teflon coated surfaces. There are plenty of other non-stick surfaces available which do not have this pattern of stigma attached.

In fact the use of this cooking surface has now become so general, it has led to a new style of healthy home cooking using the relatively new, double-sided grills. The huge bonus with these is that any grease cooked out of the meat runs away into a separate tray, and of course there's no need for any extra oil to prevent food sticking.

This means that relatively fat free cuts of meat such as turkey and loin of lamb remain just that, lean. This is a huge bonus not just for those people fighting obesity, but for anyone who cares about a healthy life-style.

These grills are very easy to use, and this alone may well encourage more home cooked meals and less takeaways. In addition, the grills cook food quickly, further assisting the busy family cook to 'do the right thing'.

If the health arguments don't convince you, perhaps the budget ones will. Most non-stick cookware makes use of aluminium, making it far cheaper to produce and distribute than alternatives such as stainless steel and cast iron.

And just to make life even easier, a simple rinse in warm, soapy water is all that is necessary to keep non-stick surfaces clean. Now that should convince even the most reluctant home cook to make the change.