What makes you Fat ? Carbs, Fat or Calories !

Obesity is the latest epidemic and threatening US population with side effects like heart diseases and diabetes. People take it as a lifestyle disease and think that lack of physical work is responsible for that. But the truth is that our diet is also a major factor, which is making us fat. Those who are aware about diet have got various views. Some think that excess fat in diet makes us fat, while some think that excess carbs do it. One more group of people think that it is all due to excess calories. Here we are more concerned about diet, and will try to find which factor (fat, carbs or calories) is to be blamed for making us fat.

What made people believe that Fat in diet is real culprit ?

There were some widely spread myths that even educated people believed in and thought that dietary fat makes us fat.
Myth 1 : Dietary fat directly get deposited in body and make us obese.
Truth : Our body can't do that. First is digests the dietary fat like any other food item. Our stomach only absorbs water and glucose for instant energy (that is why we give glucose to drink, if someone faints). Infact dietary fat takes more time to get digested and make us feel full for longer duration.

Myth 2: Fat contain more calories that makes us fat.
Truth: Yes, dietary fat contain 9 calories per gram, while carbs and protein contain just 4 calories per gram. But the truth is that this property of fat makes us feel full on lesser consumption. As we told earlier that digestion of fat takes longer and makes us feel full for longer duration as well. Both of these facts automatically balances the correct amount of calorie consumption. Here you should know one more thing that digestion of fat consumes far more number of calories compared to carbs and proteins.

If you want to know more about Fat Myth then read Does eating Fat make you Fat .

Are Carbs responsible for Body Fat ?

Carbohydrates are more easily convertible to body fat compared to dietary fat. Carbohydrates can be more easily converted to glucose and increase blood sugar level and insulin level. The excess glucose which is not absorbed by muscles and other cells of body are converted into fat and deposited in different parts of body as a stored energy which can be used by body while is shortage of food. So the real fat deposited in body is made from carbohydrates.
Bread, potatoes, cookies, sugar and rice are some major sources of carbohydrates that you should control in your diet.
Now people are turning towards Ketogenic Diet , which is a low carb diet, to loose the excess fat and being slim.

Can you blame calories for Body Fat ?

Yes, but only if you are consuming more than the expenditure. In the end it doesn't matter what you are eating, what matters in the amount of calories. If you are consuming excess calories then in the end they will get deposited as fat in body. Physical activities are the best way to consume calories. You may choose any one that you like such as cycling, jogging, swimming or workout in a gym. Staying away from more carbs is better as they contain instant calories and it also makes us addict.

A balanced diet and active lifestyle that includes some daily workout is the best way to stay fit.