The "light" label on some cooking oils does not refer to the amount of fat, but to the flavor. A "light" oil will have a lighter flavor, but the same amount of fat. Choose a light oil for preserving the original flavors and taste of the ingredients of your meal. Don't choose it for a less fat diet. If you are trying to reduce your fat intake, try instead to reduce the amount of oil that you use for cooking.

If all oils are 100% fat, are they just as bad to our health? No, absolutely not, because there are "good" fats and "bad" fats. The good ones are monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats while the bad ones are saturated and trans fats.

The good fats lower the level of total cholesterol and some even increase the level of the good cholesterol (i.e. HDL) while lowering the level of the bad cholesterol (i.e. LDL). The cooking oils that are low in bad fats include canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, flax seed oil, and corn oil. The cooking oils that are best avoided because of their high level of bad fats include coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil.

How about the flavor? Cooking oils range in flavor from neutral (they add no flavor to a dish) to very invasive (a strong flavor of their own). The canola oil is an example of neutral oil while olive oil has a strong flavor.