# What are chocolatey treats so fattening? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002 "2011-09-20T23:42:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/1 "2011-09-20T23:42:51Z")
4 Hershey’s Nuggets with almonds contain a whopping 13 grams of fat. 13!! What part of the chocolatey treat makes it so fattening? Is it the sugar? The milk? The chocolate itself? The cocoa butter? The lactose? The milk fat? The soy lecithin? The PGPR? The vanillin? The artificial flavor? Bonus question: How come they never state the ingredients or the details about things like “artificial flavor”? They just say, well, “artificial flavor?” ---
**Author:** ![Borzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Borzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borzo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/2 "2011-09-20T23:53:49Z")
Milk chocolate and dark chocolate have lots of cocoa butter, and that’s pretty fattening. Really low-budget chocolates and “truffles” sometimes just use solidified oil. Those 2 usually account for 90% of the fat in most chocolate. Sugar has no fat. Milk has very little fat. Chocolate powder usually has the fat removed. Lactose is just sugar. Soy is a protein. Not sure what PGPR is. The flavourings are usually really concentrated and come in really tiny amounts. ETA: Totally missed the almond part. Almonds have lots of fat/oils. All nuts have lots of fats. But nuts are good for you, so it shouldn’t be much of a concern. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/3 "2011-09-21T00:15:38Z")
Protein and Carbohydrate have 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram. Gram is a unit of weight, the candy is mostly fat, therefore it is a calorie bomb. Fat is necessary to support life. Fat also tastes good, and provides texture and satisfaction when eating. Because low-fat or no-fat foods don’t have the same mouth feel, companies increase the amount of carbohydrates to compensate. That’s why a “low-fat” food might contain a bazillion calories. (example only) “Artificial flavoring” is most likely artificial vanilla. It tastes SORTA like vanilla, but is a helluva lot cheaper. ~VOW (Lifelong dieter) ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/4 "2011-09-21T02:21:05Z")
Almonds have a fair am’t of good fat. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/5 "2011-09-21T02:53:02Z")
Just because they have fat and are high in calories doesn’t mean they are ‘fattening’. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/6 "2011-09-21T02:56:08Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > Just because they have fat and are high in calories doesn’t mean they are ‘fattening’. That’s pretty much the definition of “fattening.” ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/7 "2011-09-21T03:17:00Z")
If eaten in moderation they are not fattening, they merely contain fat. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/8 "2011-09-21T03:20:36Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > If eaten in moderation they are not fattening, they merely contain fat. By that definition nothing is fattening. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/9 "2011-09-21T03:59:54Z")
[For your consideration:](http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/chocolate.aspx) > [@](#): > > Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. In addition to having antioxidant qualities, research indicates that flavanols have other positive influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow to the brain and heart, making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot, and lowering cholesterol. … > > … You may be surprised to learn that chocolate isn’t as bad for you as we once thought. > > The fat in chocolate comes from cocoa butter and is made up of equal amounts of oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are forms of saturated fat. You may know that saturated fats are linked to increases in LDL-cholesterol and the risk for heart disease. > > But, research shows that stearic acid appears to have a neutral effect on cholesterol, neither raising nor lowering it. Although palmitic acid does affect cholesterol levels, it only makes up one-third of the fat calories in chocolate. Still, this great news does not mean you can eat all the dark chocolate you’d like. > > First, be careful about the type of dark chocolate you choose: chewy caramel-marshmallow-nut-covered dark chocolate is by no means a heart-healthy food option. Watch out for those extra ingredients that can add lots of extra fat and calories! Second, there is currently no established serving size of chocolate to help you reap the cardiovascular benefits it offers, and more research is needed in this area. However, we do know that you no longer need to feel guilty if you enjoy a small piece of dark chocolate once in a while. So, for now, enjoy moderate portions of chocolate (e.g., one ounce) a few times per week, and don’t forget to eat other flavonoid-rich foods like apples, red wine, tea, onions and cranberries. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/10 "2011-09-21T06:03:16Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > If eaten in moderation they are not fattening, they merely contain fat. If used solely as a paperweight, a block of lard isn’t fattening. But so what? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/11 "2011-09-21T09:48:15Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > By that definition nothing is fattening. Exactly. Foods can’t inherently be fattening. It’s a dumb term, blaming the food for what the person does. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/12 "2011-09-21T12:18:43Z")
It’s not a dumb term if it’s useful - even if it is imprecise and doesn’t precisely identify cause and effect. ---
**Author:** ![Borzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Borzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borzo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/13 "2011-09-21T12:35:39Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Exactly. Foods can’t inherently be fattening. It’s a dumb term, blaming the food for what the person does. I think that the term “fattening” when used to describe foods simply means: Eating that food will lead to you getting fat, _more than a comparable non-fattening food._ That said, a food doesn’t have to have fat in it to be fattening. Most people get fat from consuming ludicrously high amounts of sugars/carbs. I take back my previous use of the word fattening. Chocolates are usually “fattening” because they are high in sugar, not fat. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/14 "2011-09-21T14:03:53Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Exactly. Foods can’t inherently be fattening. It’s a dumb term, blaming the food for what the person does. It’s a relative term. Per unit mass, baker’s chocolate is more fattening than steamed broccoli. It’s just a shortcut for saying “x has a lot of calories.” In a non-technical discussion, it is a perfectly adequate and well-understood term. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/15 "2011-09-21T15:50:48Z")
Foods at the top of the list for caloric density are fattening. Chocolate with almonds? Fattening. ---
**Author:** ![Borzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Borzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borzo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/16 "2011-09-21T15:59:01Z")
I don’t believe caloric content alone should be used to determine if a food is “fattening”, however. Some foods with high caloric content are also very _filling_. I can eat a 500 calorie meal of fibre, fat, and protein, and not be hungry for 7 hours. But I can consume 500 calories of refined sugar and be _starving_ within 90 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/17 "2011-09-21T16:19:54Z")
> [@Borzo](#): > > I think that the term “fattening” when used to describe foods simply means: Eating that food will lead to you getting fat, _more than a comparable non-fattening food._… > [@Philster](#): > > Foods at the top of the list for caloric density are fattening. Okay. So let’s use nuts. High in fat, high in calories per ounce, but moderate consumption is [associated with _greater weight loss_ and health benefits](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20199999). Fattening or not? ---
**Author:** ![Borzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Borzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borzo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/18 "2011-09-21T16:22:21Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Okay. So let’s use nuts. High in fat, high in calories per ounce, but moderate consumption is [associated with _greater weight loss_ and health benefits](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20199999). > > Fattening or not? Nuts are good. They are also very filling. Eating a handful of nuts might keep you full for a long time. In the long run, eating nuts might lead to lower calorie consumption. Eating low-calorie “diet” foods that are made of sugar/refined carbs, however, may be more “fattening” since they make you very hungry - thus leading to an increase in overall calorie consumption. “Fattening” is probably a word best avoided, in general, I agree. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/19 "2011-09-21T17:06:50Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Gram is a unit of weight Nitpick… gram is a unit of _mass_. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002/20 "2011-09-21T17:29:07Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Okay. So let’s use nuts. High in fat, high in calories per ounce, but moderate consumption is [associated with _greater weight loss_ and health benefits](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20199999). > > Fattening or not? Fattening. Typical consumer won’t consume them moderately and/or they should only be consumed ‘moderately’ BECAUSE they are fattening. Is crabbing for King Crab dangerous? Yes, because it’s at the top of the list for dangerous jobs. But King Crabbing isn’t dangerous when done carefully and in moderation (like, in nice weather). . [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chocolatey-treats-so-fattening/597002.md?page=2)