Getting fat on fruits.

[The Last Conformist]

I've heard/read in a number of places that you can't get fat from eating fruit. This far, I've assumed this to be pure propaganda, reasoning that anything tasting as sweet as most fruit must be quite able to make you fat if you eat enough of it.

However, some of the people saying it seem to be people who should know while not having any obvious self-interst in claiming it.

Does anyone here claim to know, and, more interesting, if the claim is true, can anyone explain why?

 

[Bamspeedy]

I don't know about fruits, but I have heard that supposedly for celery, it is so low in calories that you burn more calories chewing it than you gain.

 

[The Last Conformist]

I could believe that, but hardly for sweet-tasting stuff like bananas.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Not much fat in fruits, plenty of carbs though.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Cola doesn't contain any fat to speak of either ...

 

[SeleucusNicator]

Count calories, not fats or carbohydrates.

I remember reading an 18th century guide on how to get fat a while back (it was on a calendar that had a different 18th century text every day), and it mentioned eating lots of fruits, so I am guessing that it is really possible.

 

[Iggy]

There is certainally a fair amount of natural sugar in bananas, grapes and most berries.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Its more than just caloric intake. The body processes carbs and fats differently.

 

[Sanaz]

Different type of sugar in fruit than soda so it can be used properly without causing blood sugar spikes, and fruit has nutrition so actually triggers appetite controls that empty foods won't. The body is designed to use carbohydrates from food (fruit, vegetable, etc.), not junk (candy, soda, processed sugar and wheat, etc.), so the reactions are completely different.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Sugar isnt junk. It only becomes junk when consumed in excess.

 

[SanPellegrino]

Sanaz is right, Sugar in fruits is different from that in junk. Also most fruit consist of mainly water, so you will be full before you begin to storage in your fat depots.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Processed or not, sugar is sugar. In moderation its fine.

 

[Sanaz]

Processed or not, sugar is sugar. In moderation its fine.

That is not a true statement. There are many different forms of sugar. In moderation, processed sugar is still junk, but it will do no harm. That doesn't mean that you aren't better off replacing it with good sugar. Of course, too much "good sugar" is unhealthy also.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Sanaz is right, Sugar in fruits is different from that in junk. Also most fruit consist of mainly water, so you will be full before you begin to storage in your fat depots.

Meat is mostly water too. Doesn't mean you can't get fat from eating it.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

That is not a true statement. There are many different forms of sugar. In moderation, processed sugar is still junk, but it will do no harm. That doesn't mean that you aren't better off replacing it with good sugar. Of course, too much "good sugar" is unhealthy also.

Ok Im not a nutritionist, but my understanding is that the main benefit of consuming natural sugars in fruits is that they come along with other vital minerals, fibers and vitamins, while processed sugar is just sugar without any of the accompanying things I mentioned above. Is that incorrect?

 

[Milan's Warrior]

You can certainly get fat on fruit if you eat enough of it.
But if you only eat fruit it will take you a lot of it to make up so many calories to get fat. You will also miss protein and become severely affected by malnutrition.

Moreover a lot of people just eat a fruit on top of everything else, because they think of "compensating" for the unhealthy junk food with fruit, instead that just adds up

 

[The Last Conformist]

It's not like am planning to live solely on fruit ...

I've been thinking to increase my fruit consumption, but hardly to levels that are gonna matter much wrt my weight. Especially as I'm probably gonna eat less sandwiches 'tween meals in that case.

That's to say, the answer doesn't matter to me personally. I'm just being curious.

 

[SanPellegrino]

Meat is mostly water too. Doesn't mean you can't get fat from eating it.

don't know any numbers, but I guess the % of water in fruits is far higher. also meat is completely different, another being already concentrated the nutriments for you.

 

[Milan's Warrior]

It's not like am planning to live solely on fruit ...

I've been thinking to increase my fruit consumption, but hardly to levels that are gonna matter much wrt my weight. Especially as I'm probably gonna eat less sandwiches 'tween meals in that case.

That's to say, the answer doesn't matter to me personally. I'm just being curious.

To be sure of the net effect you would have to look up the calories, but I think that if you exchange the x volume of sandwich for x volume of fruit you will slim down a little bit, because on average sandwiches (with cheese and/or mayo) have more calories

 

[Yaype]

don't know any numbers, but I guess the % of water in fruits is far higher. also meat is completely different, another being already concentrated the nutriments for you.

Bananas are 70% water, I do believe--pretty high if you ask me.