Why Sugar Doesn't Make You Fat

Sugar is very easy to demonize. People say it causes obesity, or it’s the sole reason you can’t lose weight. Yada Yada Yada.

Over the years our consumption of sugar in the U.S. has actually gone down, while the obesity rate still continues to rise.

Information like this makes you wonder why sugar is seen as being so bad.

The real reason people demonize sugar isn't because it just automatically makes you fat. It's because, when processed, you can eat a ton of it and not feel full. This leads to over eating which results in consuming too many calories which then makes you fat.

These processed sugars are what give all sugars a bad wrap.

The type of sugar that is mostly responsible for this, the one that we have all heard of, is the high fructose corn syrup.

This stuff is so processed and so broken down that it takes little to no effort by your body to break it down for use.

“So that means sugar is bad right?”

Not quite.

Not all sources of sugar are created equal. Not all sugar is bad. One food source you can find good sugar in, is fruit.

Fruit is incredible for you and should not be avoided because of the sugar content.

“Say whaaaa?”

What gets lost in the conversation when it comes to sugar, is what else is included in the food you are eating.

Fruit, for example, has sugar but is also an amazing source of fiber.

Fiber is like a snow plow for your digestive system. It picks up a ton of stuff along your GI tract. Just like the snow plows out in December, they aren't exactly driving the speed limit. This results in slower digestion which keeps you full much longer.

It would be easy to say “just don’t eat sugar.” But that is missing a lot of context.

Try to minimize the added sugars and all the other highly processed types, but don’t fear good sources like fruit!