Is Homer Simpson your hero? The Thickburger your lunch? Here's a comparison of two lifestyles.
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) -
The recently released, groundbreaking eight-year federal study refuting the weight loss and disease fighting benefits of low-fat diets sparked controversy and has added to Americans' increasing confusion over what to eat. If you're thinking of ditching that low-fat diet, here's a quick comparison of the low-fat and high-fat (or mo'-fat) lifestyles.
Height of concern: In 1994, 51.1 percent of Americans completely agreed with the statement: "A person should be very cautious in serving foods with fat," according to research outfit NPD Foodworld. Last year, only 30.8 percent agreed. 
| IDEOLOGICAL CHAMPION |
Dr. Dean Ornish, founder, president and director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute. He has argued for the past 25 years that lifestyle changes, including a low-fat diet, can stave off heart disease. People magazine named him "one of the most interesting people of 1996." |
Homer Simpson, nuclear safety inspector and portly patriarch of The Simpsons, the longest-running sitcom on American TV. He has argued that the purple filling inside a jelly donut "is a fruit." The BBC named him the "Greatest American Ever" in 2003. |
| BEST IDEA |
Nabisco's SnackWell's cookies, which have zero grams of fat per serving. SnackWell's rang up sales of approximately $450 million in 1995, while 2005 sales were just $76 million, according to data tracker Information Resources, Inc. (2005 data excludes Wal-Mart.) |
Hardee's Monster Thickburger, which has 107 grams of fat. Same-store sales at Hardee's were up 12.4 percent in January, its best one-month performance since April 2004. |
| WORST IDEA |
Frito-Lay's Wow! chips with Procter & Gamble's faux-fat Olestra, which was found to cause "anal leakage." Wow, indeed. |
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association web site, designed to encourage carnivorous behavior among our nation's youth with fun games like "Burger Boggle" and recipes for tasty dishes like "Beefy PB&J Wraps." |
| BEACH READING |
The American Heart Association Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook
Amazon.com sales rank #18,912 |
French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure
Amazon.com sales rank: #750 |
| PIVOTAL YEAR |
1996, when 2,076 low-fat products launched, according to Mintel. |
Mo' fat: 2004, when 2,380 low-carb products launched. |
| Source: FORTUNE |
