Sabine answered Sunday May 20 2007, 10:03 pm: Okay, you need three kinds of nutrients. You need fats. Your brain is made up almost entirely out of cholesterol. Your body even manufactures some cholesterol. Without fat, you can't keep warm, your skin gets dry, and eventually you die. You also need protein. Protein is the building block of cells. It helps your body repair cells and build new ones. You need carbs. Those are converted into A.T.P., which is the form of energy your cells use. There are the simple sugars, which your body must use quickly or store quickly and the complex carbs, like whole grain bread, which provides a more long-term source of energy. Excess protein is filtered out through the kidneys, but extra fats can be absorbed and stored in your body and extra carbs can be converted into fat and stored in your body.
What makes anyone fat is getting more calories through any source than she can burn off. Calories are a measure of energy that the food provides the body and if you take in 3000 calories in a day and expend only 2000, then you will gain weight. If you take in only 1000 calories and expend 2000 per day, you will lose weight. Some carbs are worse for you because they are more likely to be converted into fat stores than others. Those include the quick-energy short-chain carbs, such as candy. With fats, there are some that your body needs, such as the Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and some that your body doesn't need more of, like those found in Cheetos.
The best plan is to get the correct amount of carbs, which are found in grains, veggies, fruits, and sugars, the correct amount of fats, and the right kinds - no transfats or hydrogenated fats, and plenty of lean protein. Lean protein builds muscle which increases your body's ability to burn energy provided by the fats and carbs.
What makes people fat is taking in more calories than they burn. You could eat 1500 calories per day of chocolate and not gain and ounce if that's all you ate and you also burned 1500 calories per day. That being said, you would also have problems with your immune system, your energy level, your muscles not getting the right things, and your health would be a mess because you'd be lacking nutrients, so it's not all about the calories. You need a balanced diet so you get in all the things you need and no extra calories.
christina answered Sunday May 20 2007, 8:53 pm: Yeah, the fat in the food does add to weight gain. Carbs & calories are needed, but they can contribute to it. Also, no exercise makes you fat. [ christina's advice column | Ask christina A Question ]
orphans answered Sunday May 20 2007, 8:51 pm: its actually transfat thats the worst
if thast not enough info, ask me aquestion because im not really sure how to answer this...sorry haha
but calories and carbs wont make you fat because you need them, but you dont need transfat at all. new york outlawed transfat thats just how bad it is for you [ orphans's advice column | Ask orphans A Question ]
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