“I’ve decided to cut _____ out of my diet so I don’t get fat.”
How many times have you heard someone say this, or something similar?
Let’s get one thing straight…
No particular food item or food group on its own can make a person gain weight.
What causes weight gain? Caloric surplus: when the number of calories you eat is higher than the number of calories your body is burning.
It is NORMAL that on certain days you may move less and eat more. You will not develop pounds of body fat overnight because of this. Weight gain results when this caloric surplus is happening constantly. .
*There are other health conditions and genetic factors that contribute to body fat percentage and one’s ability to gain/lose weight—this post is simply to bust the myth that one food item can cause excess weight gain on its own.* .
This further suggests that health and weight are often separate.
Consider this scenario: An individual is consuming *only* treats and foods lacking essential nutrients, but are not in a caloric surplus, therefore, they are not gaining weight. Does that mean this person is healthy? No!
A person can be unhealthy and “slim,” just as well as they could be healthy and in a larger body.