The Fats of Life

by Caroline M. Pond

Overview

Fat has a bad reputation in modern society despite being an essential part of our health and well-being. Across the animal kingdom, fat plays all sorts of vital roles in energy storage and insulation for migration, breeding and mating. Written by an expert in the field, this intriguing popular science book fills the gap between unscientific comments about dietary fats, weight control and the health hazards of high- or low-fat diets found in magazines; and technical medical reports about lipid biochemistry and obesity in animals and humans. It explains in clear, nontechnical language where fats come from and how the body handles them; the natural roles of fats; and the biology of feasting and fasting, and fattening and slimming in wild animals as well as people. All readers with an interest in fat and its uses and manifestations will find this book an enjoyable and informative read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521583213
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/13/1998
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	6.26(w) x 9.29(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Prologue; 1. Introduction to fats; 2. Introduction to fatty tissues; 3. Diverse fatty acids; 4. Lipids in action; 5. The functions of fattening; 6. The functions of fat; 7. Fat people; 8. Fat and health; Epilogue; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"The author, well known in the field of comparative fat physiology, expertly combines accounts of chemistry of fats, general natural history, and pertinent comparative physiology of mammals, together with the relevance of all this to human life history and social and medical issues. Any and all topics from fat distribution in mammalian bodies to the nature of different kinds of fats found in plant foods of all sorts are woven into a well-written and carefully constructed narrative. ...clearly an outstanding contribution to the educated layperson's library: it informs and entertains in a holistic and delightful manner." Choice

"Its major contribution may well be to swing the pendulum back a little, widening the recognition that in order to be healthy, one does not need to be anorexic or nearly so." Nature

"The author, well known in the field of comparative fat physiology, expertly combines accounts of chemistry of fats, general natural history, and pertinent comparative physiology of mammals, together with the relevance of all this to human life history and social and medical issues. Any and all topics from fat distribution in mammalian bodies to the nature of different kinds of fats found in plant foods of all sorts are woven into a well-written and carefully constructed narrative...clearly an outstanding contribution to the educated layperson's library: it informs and entertains in a holistic and delightful manner." Choice

"...fun to read...it will fascinate." Journal of the American Dietetic

From the Publisher