Sensitivity to High Pitched SoundsThe questions below were raised by visitors to the STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print) website in the AskST section of the website. eMenders doctors provided the answers to the questions raised as a public health education project. The information provided below is of a general nature and should not be treated as a replacement for medical advice. You should seek consultation from a medical or healthcare professional about your specific medical condition.
Question:
I am a 26 year-old woman with no health problems. I would like to know if an over-consumption of fruits (more than 2 servings per day) will lead to diabetes or even obesity due to the high sugar content.
Answer:
Obesity results when calorie intake exceeds expenditure. The source of calories doesn't matter much (fruit or otherwise). In the context of a genetic predisposition to diabetes (e.g. one family member is diabetic); obesity often leads to diabetes mellitus.
Certainly, if your calorie intake exceeds expenditure over a long period of time, you could become obese and increase your risk of encountering diabetes. However, since neither a family history has been given, nor information about the reader’s lifestyle, it is impossible to give a definite prediction.
DR ALEX FOK is a Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Center.