Does Fruit Really Make You Fat?

If sugar is bad, does that mean fruit needs to be avoided?

It’s a question that has been asked thousands of times in hundreds of different ways. Because of the general fear of sugar, it’s assumed that fruit — which is, admittedly, filled with sugar — must be bad and more likely to contribute to making you gain weight (and become fat). 

The concerns spill over to all your favorites: do you need to avoid bananas? What about apples and pears? Will peaches and watermelon ruin my summer body goals?

The (very) short answer is fruit is badly misunderstood. As we’ve discussed before, not all sugar is equal, and any amount of sugar will not make you fat.

Like so many things in health and nutrition, the obvious answer is rarely the correct one. When it comes to fruit, you have to look at the entire nutrient profile to understand why fruit has so many benefits that can offset the sugar and make it more of a weight loss aid than a weight gain food. 

In this episode of That’s Healthy, Right?, we examine the real concerns with fruit, the fallacy of the relationship between fruit and weight gain, look at the research behind the benefits of eating fruit daily, the best time of day to eat fruit, and how much fruit is too much.

To ask a question, read the transcript, or learn more, visit bornfitness.com/thats-healthy-right.

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Resources:

Paradoxical Effects of Fruit on Obesity — Nutrients 

Impact of Whole, Fresh Fruit Consumption on Energy Intake and Adiposity: A Systematic Review — Frontiers in Nutrition 

Effects of two energy-restricted diets containing different fruit amounts on body weight loss and macronutrient oxidation — Plant Foods Human Nutrition

Health benefits of fruits and vegetables — Advanced Nutrition

What can intervention studies tell us about the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and weight management? —  Nutrition Reviews

Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men — New England Journal of Medicine

Effects of fruit consumption on body mass index and weight loss in a sample of overweight and obese dieters enrolled in a weight-loss intervention trial — Nutrition 

A low-energy-dense diet adding fruit reduces weight and energy intake in women — Appetite

Changes in intake of fruits and vegetables in relation to risk of obesity and weight gain among middle-aged women — International Journal of Obesity

Appetite control: Methodological aspects of the evaluation of foods — Obesity

So Now Kale Is Bad for You? — Born Fitness

Effect of a very-high-fiber vegetable, fruit, and nut diet on serum lipids and colonic function — Metabolism 

Effect of fruit restriction on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes--a randomized trial — Nutrition Journal