How is sugar converted to fat? - We should have about 80 calories of glucose (three teaspoons) in our blood and another 300 calories stored as glycogen. We need at least
600 calories a day just to keep going. The backup supply comes from body fat, where a further 100,000 calories are on standby, ready to be converted quickly into glucose. This interchangeability - converting sugars into fats and vice versa - gives us great flexibility and means we can survive on a wide range of foods.
How does sugar make you fat? - When we have a sudden intake of sugar, say a canned soft drink that contains 100 calories or four teaspoons of sugars, two or three teaspoons of glucose go straight into the bloodstream, doubling the blood sugar level. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood to mop up excess sugars, some of which are converted to fats and put into storage. If more sugar is eaten, the fat has little chance to get converted back into sugar and so accumulates. Obesity is a sign that there is more than the 100,000 calories worth of fat that a healthy person needs in reserve.
