Carbohydrates are foods packed with energy. As our bodies digest and metabolize carbohydrates, sugars are released into the bloodstream and this blood sugar races to our cells providing energy so that we can think, walk, run and function. There's another key factor here, Insulin. Our bodies produce insulin in response to eating foods with carbohydrates, becasue insulin's job is to help transport the glucose to the cells. Insulin is like the friend who knocks on the door and helps the glucose gain admission to the cells. The 2 work together, Insulin and blood sugar.
People with diabetes have lower levels of insulin, so they end up having much higher blood sugar levels. They don't have enough insulin to move the sugars into the cells. Lots of people who don't have diabetes but are overweight or have a family history or other predisposing factors, may have an insulin resistance. That means that their insulin doesn't work quite so well. Maybe it's a bit burned out from too much sugar over a lifetime or there's an extra 30 or more pounds to supply with glucose. And sometimes, as in menopause, with time and age, insulin resistance increases. It's kind of perfectly bad storm, with factors all working together to make it harder to lose weight.
When we have an abundance of sugar in our blood, a portion heads to the liver to be stored as glycogen. Once the liver has filled it's storage areas with glycogen the excess blood sugar, that's not needed for energy gets converted to triglyecerides (fatty acids) and fat. Really. Excess carbohydrates can lead to fat deposition. People with high triglycerides often also have high LDL cholesterol, leading to an increased risk of heart disease.
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