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No, carbs as a macronutrient do not make you fat. Over consumption of calories will. Many people ditch carbohydrates on a diet believing that this will help them shed the pounds, however, eliminating any macronutrient will most likely decrease overall calorie intake which will induce weight loss. In addition, the sudden drop in the scale when you do eliminate carbs are most likely due to glycogen depletion, and thus, the excretion of water which is not ideal in terms of hydration.

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Carbohydrates are composed of recurring monomers called monosaccharides, which may be linked via condensation reactions/glycosidic linkages.
- Two monosaccharides form a disaccharide
- Three or more monosaccharides form a polysaccharide.

Three main polysaccharides include cellulose, starch and glucose.
- Cellulose is a structural polysaccharide found in the cell wall of plants and is a linear molecule composed of β-glucose subunits.
(linear chains)
- Starch is an energy storage polysaccharide found in plants and is composed of α-glucose subunits, existing in one of two forms; amylose or amylopectin.
(helical or branched chains)
- Glycogen is an energy storage polysaccharide formed in the liver in animals, and is composed of α-glucose subunits linked together by both 1-4 linkages and 1-6 linkages.
(branched chains)

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Carbs contain 17 kJ/gram (4 cal/gram), which is roughly the same as protein and less than half of the energy in fats.

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Energy Production
Carbohydrates are 1 of the 3 energy-yielding macronutrients. This means that during digestion, carbohydrates can be hydrolysed and absorbed for use in energy production. Because of this function, carbohydrates are needed in the body in large amounts.

Carbohydrates are the most basic form of fuel which can go towards energy production. Monosaccharides are the simplest units of sugar and are used as a source of energy, with glucose being the most preferred.

After being absorbed through the small intestine and into the blood, glucose can be taken up by the muscles and enter the Krebs cycle for ATP production. If energy production is not required, excess glucose will be taken up into the muscle and liver for glycogenesis. Glucose is stored in the form of glycogen.

Carbohydrates in Dietary Fibre Help Digestion
Dietary fibre is a form of carbohydrate which is indigestible by the body. Because of this, we are unable to absorb fibre through the small intestine and use it to produce energy. However, dietary fibre is beneficial to digestion.

After the majority of nutrients have been absorbed through the small intestine, the remaining indigestible contents pass into the colon, including dietary fibre. Dietary fibre and other indigestible content form a semi solid waste which facilitates the peristaltic movement of waste through the colon and into the rectum for excretion. The dietary fibre is also able to retain some water which contributes to the consistency and bulk of the waste.

The gut microbiome which resides in the colon is also able to ferment this dietary fibre to produce water, gas and fat. This can be used as a source of energy for the intestinal cells of the colon.

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SUGARS:
the Australian Dietary Guidelines urge consumers to limit intake of foods and drinks that contain added sugars because they deliver few or no nutrients.

STARCH & DIETARY FIBRES
AMDR: 45-65% Kilojoules of daily intake from starch and dietary fibres

In an average adult intake of 8000kj, carbs from starch and dietary fibres should represent between 3600 - 5200kj or 200g - 325g of your daily diet.

However, because of the importance of carbohydrates as an essential energy source, there is no specific recommendation on amount required daily.

More on Fibres:
The recommendation for dietary fibres (whole grains, veg, fruits and legumes) is 25 g/day for women and 30 g/day for men.

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The brain is the only organ in the body which is exclusively dependent on glucose for its basic function.

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Carbohydrates are the only fuel source metabolised fast enough to support hard exercise. This is due to the ability for glucose to be broken down without the aid of oxygen.

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For every 1 gram of carbohydrate your body stores as energy (glycogen), it holds up to 3-4 grams of water which can help hydrate the body.

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GI is a ranking on a scale of 1-100 of foods based on how they affect blood sugar levels compared with a serving of pure glucose. In other words, how easily our body breaks down the carbs in foods.
Low GI is <55
Medium is 55-70
High is >70
Where the higher the GI, the quicker the carbs are broken down.