The food watchdog is to launch a multi-million campaign to urge people to cut out foods with "killer" fats amid growing evidence that families of all classes are eating far too many crisps, biscuits, cakes and pastries.

The Food Standards Agency will next week underline the strong links between heart disease and diets high in saturated fats, featuring "striking heart-shaped" images in popular foods.

Significantly the agency's research has shown that saturated fat consumption is too high across all social groupings, so the campaign will attempt to reach families from all classes and on various budgets. Middle-class cheese eaters, for example, will be urged to cut back on high-fat hard cheese products and to eat less cheese by grating it rather than eating it in blocks.

One image in the campaign reveals cheese coming through a grater in a heart shape, while another picture shows a "balanced" meal of salmon, peas and broccoli arranged in a heart.

According to the FSA, Britons are eating 20% more than the maximum recommended amount of saturated fat. The campaign will aim to educate consumers about the relationship between saturated fat and heart health, and will provide tips on shopping, preparation and cooking to help adults choose lower saturated fat options. The wide-ranging TV and media campaign will start next week, backed by leaflets, posters, flyers, recipe cards, postcards and shopping guides.

Last year the government announced a series of initiatives to crack down on saturated fats, including the appointment of a "tsar", Susan Jebb, of the government's Medical Research Council, to lead an academic group looking at strategies to reduce saturated fat consumption.

Cutting levels of fat intake by 20% would save an estimated 3,500 deaths a year, the FSA says. Although Britain's consumption of saturated fats has been falling over the past 20 years, largely due to people switching from full-fat to semi-skimmed milk, scientists say it is still too high. The fats make up almost one seventh of the average Briton's calorie intake.

The Guardian 5/2/09

Real Food Comment: Whilst it's admirable that the FSA is encouraging people to cut down on the level of saturated fats that they consume, the danger is that this simplistic goal seems to push people towards low fat alternatives and processed so-called 'health' foods.

The reality is that saturated fats are good for us. Saturated fats support bones, protect the liver, enhance the immune system, and absorb omega-3s. In moderation they don't cause heart disease but slow down the absorption of foods in your stomach, making you feel fuller for longer.

However, whether it’s meat or dairy foods we’re talking about, the healthiest fats come from animals raised on pasture; animals grazing fresh, herb-rich grass. Meat from these animals contains less overall fat than grain fed animals that tend to be shut up in yards. Grass fed meat will be richer in betacarotene and vitamin E, higher in the cancer fighting compound CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and Omega 3's.

Conversely, following FSA guidelines and increasing your intake of nuts and seeds, and vegetable oils and spreads will increase your intake of Omega 6's, which are now believed to be the cause of enzyme activity slowing down in preparation for harder times to come.

This appears to be related to seasonal changes in our diets during our evolution, in the summertime our diets were higher in omega 3's found in green plants and grasses and in the autumn our diets were richer in seeds and therefore Omega 6's. The issue here is when cell membranes contain good amounts of Omega 3s, metabolism is rapid and the body is prepared for activity and reproduction, when seeds are abundant, we consume more Omega 6's and start to lay down extra fat for the winter.

Unfortunately our western diets now give us this seasonal fat ration all year round, a factor which it is thought to be one of the causes of our increasing tendency towards obesity.