Food and Obesity, Overweight and Food

How food is converted into fat in the body?

Carbohydrates, proteins, or fats, it could be any of these food components when we talk about fat that is stored in the body. Food once consumed travel through the stomach to intestines. This food is broken down to amino acids, glucose, and small droplets of fats by enzymes. Fats then go to the liver where it is being converted to fatty acids and glycerol. The fatty acids from the liver then enters circulation of the body where it is broken down further and it release energy to be used by required organs. If these are in excess, it is reconverted to fatty acids and is stored in fat cells in and around the internal organs of the body.

The glycerol is converted to glycogen, which in turn is broken down to release energy or is stored in the liver glycogen storage system. Once this storage system is full, glycogen is converted into fat and is stored in the body cells making a person overweight.

Lets have a look at different things that occur in the body when we eat food:

Chewing and swallowing: Food is taken to the mouth, grinded and then swallowed.

Digestion: Food is broken down to smaller components.

Absorption: These small components is taken from the gastro-intestinal tract to blood stream.

Assimilation: These small components goes to liver and is used as building blocks.

Excretion: The waste material is being thrown out of the body by breathing, perspiration, urination, or defecation.