Evidence does not support the commonly-held perception that eating too much sugar is a cause of weight gain. Overweight and obesity occur when there is a sustained excess of energy consumed over energy needed by the body and for physical activity. While excess energy intake in any form will promote obesity, high-carbohydrate foods (including sugars and starches) tend to fill you up more quickly, and compared with high-fat diets, reduce the likelihood of obesity in the long term.

NO! It's all those delicious toppings we use that add calories and fat. The potato contains zero fat and a 5.3-ounce potato is only 100 calories. See similar questions...

All foods can be fattening when eaten to excess. Pesto sauce is made with a lot of olive oil and , therefore, is high in calories, but can be eaten in SMALL quantities to avoid it becoming "fattening". See similar questions...

Maple sugar is also made from the sap of sugar maple trees. It's about twice as sweet as granulated white sugar. See similar questions...

This is simply sucrose (table sugar) that has been subjected to hydrolysis which breaks down the disaccharide sucrose into its constituent sugars. The fructose is inverted (made into its optical isomer). The inversion process involves adding acid and is usually done at high temperatures to speed up the process. Alternately, the invertase enzyme can be used. See similar questions...

The only unrefined sugar available to the average consumer seems to be Sucanat ™, an evaporated sugar cane syrup. Raw beet sugar is reputed to be unsavory. It may be possible in some markets to get other raw sugars. In Hawaii, pineapple sugar may sometimes be found. See similar questions...

This is crystalizable sugar from the first step of refinement. It has a tan to brown color from the residual impurities. Some food faddists attribute beneficial results from using this, but unless a lot is consumed, the potential benefits are very low. Demerara is also called "turbinado" and "raw sugar". Demerara is the United Kingdom term, turbinado the American term. Demerara is usually a dark brown shade, while turbinado is lighter, more of a tan or taupe color. See similar questions...

In the US, this is just refined sugar with some molasses added back in. The US food law says that only refined sugar (no raw components) can be sold with this name. This law may actually have more to do with enforcing a similar taste for both sugar beets and sugar cane, since the beets, when unrefined, have a poorer taste than cane sugar. Another type of brown sugar is called "Piloncillo," a Mexican brown sugar which is semi-refined granulated sugar. See similar questions...

Rock sugar is not as sweet as regular granulated sugar. It comes in the form of amber-colored crystals, which are the result of sugar cooked until it begins to color. It's used to sweeten certain Chinese teas and meat glazes. See similar questions...

If by "sugar" we mean white table sugar, the answer is definitely NO. Table sugar is sucrose, a substance made up of two molecules attached together. When we eat table sugar, our stomach has to use its own enzymes to separate the molecules apart before we can use the sugar's energy. Honey is quite different. The bees have added a special enzyme to the nectar that separates the sucrose into glucose and fructose, two simple sugars that our bodies can absorb directly. See similar questions...

Sugar is also part of a balanced diet when eaten in small quantities. Refined sugars have the fewest nutrients, but other sugars such as fructose are contained in nutritionally beneficial foods. Chinese medicine sometimes prescribes sugar as a tonic. See similar questions...

Typically every 3-6 weeks. Sugaring allows us to remove hairs as short as 1/16 of an inch, although it is recommended that the hair be between 1/8-1/4 inch for best results. See similar questions...

No. Vitamins have no caloric value, and are not sources of energy. However, vitamins do help your body use or release energy present in food. Some vitamin supplements may have a sugar coating, which may represent a calorie or two. See similar questions...

Pasta is not fattening. If you eat too much of any food, you can gain weight. According to USDA's Handbook 8-20, a 1/2 cup serving of cooked pasta (spaghetti) contains a mere 99 calories, less than half a gram of fat, and less than 5 milligrams of sodium. See similar questions...

The sugar in maple syrup is sucrose and invert sugar. White sugar is sucrose, whereas invert sugar is a breakdown product of sucrose. There is no evidence that maple syrup is healthier than white sugar. See similar questions...

There is no such food that is non-fattening, even non-fat foods, because they also contain other calories from carbohydrates or protein. There are low and high calorie versions of whole-wheat cereal depending on the brand. Always remember, anything eaten in excess will be stored as fat. See similar questions...

Control over farming operations has been considerably strengthened. Fish cannot now be placed in cages until confirmation has been received from the flag state of the vessel which caught them that they were indeed caught legally and within quota. If there is any inconsistency in the information concerning the fish at any stage in the chain, the farm state is required either to stop the transfer taking place, or to seize and release back to sea the fish already transferred. See similar questions...