Yes, pickles can make you look fat! Pickles are an integral part of diets in many cultures across the world, including India. All sorts of fruits, vegetables, and even meats are pickled in India. They are usually made by marinating in oil (or lemon) and with a bunch of spices in them, along with a lot of salt. They have high salt content, since it helps to preserve the pickle. The high salt content, while it adds a lot of flavour, also increases the concentration of sodium in the food.
High consumption of pickles, increases your sodium intake and thus the sodium concentration in your body. Sodium helps to maintain our blood pressure and perform other integral functions, but increased sodium concentration can have negative effects. Besides increasing your blood pressure, it also increases water retention in the body. Water retention makes you look bloated and heavier than you are.
Besides the high sodium content of pickles, many of them are made in lots of oil, so it adds to the calorie count. Sodium increases water retention, but all those extra calories can increase fat retention! (bad, bad)
So, next time you dig in to those pickles, go easy with the second helping.