Ninth overture

Why is it that during these nine days of religious fasting people fastidiously fasting tend to get fatter rather than thinner?
I don't understand the basic tenets of this fasting which is literally translated as feasting thanks to a loophole that speaks about how ingesting grains, salt etc are prohibited and devotees find non grains items like gram flour, water chestnut flour, paneer, sugar and fry the heck out of it, thus sticking to the prescribed doctrine yet never once feeling hungry, and because it's fasting and everyone believes it to be fasting they eat incessantly because goddamit they're pious and steadfastly fasting.
The amounts of fried foods that families demolish during these days of Navratra are mind staggering, near obscene unhealthy, because god forbid anyone eat a small fruit and a glass of milk to survive through hunger pangs when Besan Pakoras, kuttu atta kachoris and aloo puri's are on the menu.
Eating something as lacklustre as roti, rice and subzi by non fasting people during these days not only puts them on the moral low ground but they also get to suffer the sacramental bullshit by fasting fanatics who never fail to mention their hunger sacrifices while washing down their fifth fried meal/snack since morning with a gallon of extra sweet almond milk because they're fasting for religious reasons and do not have the luxury of eating meat and imbibing alcohol, you see.