10 Top Foods That Make You Gain Weight

The number of fattening foods that make you gain weight are endless, but there are a few that excel at it and make it to the top of this list.

Eric Schlosser in his book “Fast Food Nation” says that the annual health care costs in the United States from obesity is close to $240 billion and there are almost 2 billion people overweight in the world! The figures are shocking:

• 2/3 Americans over age 20 are overweight
• Nearly 1/3 of Americans over age 20 are obese
• Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.

See how many people become obese every second: World Meters Info Obesity

Obesity is now classified as a disease by the American Medical Association (AMA).

We cannot afford to be overweight and obese. Let’s learn how to do something about this now! Start with learning which foods make us fat.

10 Foods That Make You Gain Weight

We encounter these foods in our daily life, and while not guaranteed to make you gain weight, these ten make the top of the list of most fattening foods.

1. Artificial Sweeteners

Diet soda does have less calories and less sugar than regular soda, but a study found that people who drank two or more diet sodas a day had waist size increases six times greater than people who didn’t drink it.

Research has also shown that Nutrasweet, one of the most popular artificial sweeteners, leads to the same surge of insulin as white carbs (see No 7 food below) – because of sweetness detectors in the small intestine.

2. White Sugar

White sugar is full of calories that sabotage healthy eating and prime your palate to crave sweets.

The world is filled with sugar addicts. When our blood sugars are high we are high.  When our blood sugar is low, we feel totally run down and exhausted and want more sugar. Sugar has no vitamins or minerals, just lots of fat building calories, and is the foundation of many fattening foods. Watch for hidden sugars.

3. Cheese

Cheese can be a fattening food, especially when combined with another item on this list.

Cheese contains a large amount of fat. Fat has nine calories per gram, protein and carbohydrates have only four, but it’s the combination of a high carbohydrate along with the cheese that makes us gain weight. The most fattening food in the world is a combination of potatoes and cheese, served together as cheese fries.

4. Gluten Rich Foods are Fattening

However, so are the most common gluten-free packaged products.

Read the labels of gluten-free products; they are full of starch and sugar. A study discovered that it was easy to eat too many slices of bread in one sitting.

5. Potatoes Served in The Wrong Way

Some forms of potatoes are more fattening and make us gain weight.

Example: An average, large baked potato contains 278 calories and a large serving of french fries 500 to 600 calories.

Every serving of fries eaten in a day was linked to a weight gain of more than three pounds while eating an extra serving of potato chips led to a gain of 1.69 pounds. Potatoes were found to be the top food making us fat.

When you don’t eat too many and not as chips or french fries Potatoes are Surprisingly Good for You!

6. Alcohol

Alcohol blocks the body from burning fat and it stops it dead in its tracks.

Alcohol is pure fuel and has two effects in the body.

• First: Alcohol is burned as fuel before body fat as it’s immediately available and far easier to convert to energy.
• Second: When food is in your stomach and alcohol is introduced, the body switches from digestion to processing the alcohol.

Alcohol increases the release of the hormone cortisol that breaks down muscle and retains fat. The loss of muscle can slow down metabolism making it easier to gain weight.

Additionally, alcohol causes a drop in testosterone in men, a hormone that helps burn fat, and no guy wants reduced testosterone.

Fat metabolism can be reduced by as much as 73 percent after only two drinks of vodka and lemonade in a one hour time period. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition). Alcohol dehydrates the body which needs to be hydrated to build muscle and burn fat.

Quite simply, if you’re trying to gain weight, keep drinking.

7. White Carbs

White Carbs like white rice, pasta, white bread, and other white starch are fattening foods because they are high glycemic index foods.

A study suggests that such white carbs are a problem for people wanting to lose body fat. Findings from a study done by Ludwig and his colleagues at Boston Children’s Hospital show that consumption of the wrong carbs creates body fat.  Ludwig and his colleagues at Children’s Hospital Boston showed that consumption of the wrong sorts of carbohydrates create body fat and make you gain weight.

White carbs are one of the most fattening foods you can eat.

8. Fats and Oils

Fats and Oils are fattening especially when they come as deep-fried foods and baked goods.

Fats and oils also contain 120 calories per tablespoon.  Even olive oil has lots of calories even though it has significant health benefits.

9. Processed Foods

Processed foods are loaded with calories and almost no nutrients!

Diet microwave meals and frozen meals are high in sodium and calorie-rich fat to make the stuff taste good. Eating them will have you retaining water in your arms and legs, leaving you puffy.

Research by the London University College team, suggests that a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression.

10. Processed Meats

Processed meats such as lunch meats, bacon, sausage, hot dogs are high in calories, fat, and sodium

Sixty-eight percent of bacon’s calories come from fat, almost half is saturated fat and each ounce has 30 milligrams of cholesterol.

Too much salt in your body leads to water retention and bloating. NO amount of processed meat is considered safe to eat, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Common Questions About Some Favourite Foods

Is Ice Cream Fattening?

Yes.

Ice cream is fattening as it is a combination of two of the items on this list, fat, and sugar.

Is Pizza Fattening?

Does pizza make you fat? Absolutely.

Pizza is a combination of processed meats, processed cheese, usually gluten-filled pizza dough, three of the items on this list of fattening foods.

We are the result of what we eat.

Let’s, not short change our body with an abundance of these most fattening foods. They’re just filled with fat, sugar, and chemicals. If you are still eating many of them what you can do is start by decreasing the quantity until you are in control.

The best way to do that is to increase eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and quality proteins.

If you need help to eat better, then join my next free Healthy Weight Loss Webinar.

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