A risk to the nation's health?

Yes. It is not the first time that experts have suggested that saturated fat and high cholesterol are not contributors to heart disease – not least a report published last year by the National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration.

Malhotra, the first author of the new commentary, who is a consultant cardiologist and founding member of the Public Health Collaboration, said at the time: “Eat fat to get slim. Don’t fear fat. Fat is your friend. It’s now truly time to bring back the fat.”

How did that report go down?

Not particularly well. Public Health England’s chief nutritionist, Alison Tedstone, said at the time: “It’s a risk to the nation’s health when potentially influential voices suggest people should eat a high-fat diet, especially saturated fat.”

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