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Does
eating cheese make you fat?
One
of the first few things that dieters cut off from their diet plans
as soon as they embark on a diet for weight loss is cheese. All
weight watchers feel that even a moderate sprinkle of cheese on
a sandwich, burger or patty can turn their weight loss goal into
a nightmare. But still, the fact remains that an average American
consumes almost 31 lbs of cheese every year, making it one of
the most consumed food items in US. And true enough, obesity is
on a rise in America like never before and experts are of the
opinion that it can take an even more alarming proportion, if
not controlled in time. So the very first question that comes
up in this regard is - Does eating cheese make you fat? A detailed
study of this calorie laden feast can actually reveal the truth.
Nutritional food value of cheese
A clear assessment of the nutritional food value of cheese actually
lays bare its fattening properties. Cheese comes in not one but
many varieties and each one stores different attributes in its
layers. For instance, Parmesan as well as Romano Cheese, which
are actually the harder varieties of cheese, contain 110 calories/oz.
Semi-hard cheese varieties like Cheddar or Provolone store 100-120
calories in every oz. and cheese types like Colby or Fontina,
2 most popular semi-soft cheese varieties, have a calorie reading
that ranges somewhere between 100-110 calories/oz. The lowest
density of calorie is found in Cream Cheese/ Feta Cheese (90 calories/oz.)
and Mozzarella Cheese (72 calories/oz.).
All cheese varieties contain good amount of protein and both saturated/unsaturated
fat. In fact, almost 60% of all kinds of cheese is pure saturated
fat and when consumed regularly can surely add up to obesity in
cheese lovers. Moreover, cheese contains high levels of sodium
and this may mean your body retains water and bloats to undesirable
proportions if eaten regularly.
The answer to the question that popped up at the beginning of
our discussion - Does eating cheese make you fat? - can be both
YES and NO. It is 'Yes', when you are addicted to cheese eating
and eat it regularly in substantial quantities and 'No', when
you enjoy your fare of cheese occasionally. But if you are a die-hard
fan of cheese and need to garnish most of your meals with it,
you can try out the low-calorie, fat free options that are available
in almost all supermarkets to avoid putting on weight at a rapid
rate.
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