According to much of what we see on social media, in magazines and on TV, the fat on our bodies is something we need to either fight constantly with exercise and diet, or stop worrying about and celebrate. But in reality, our fat is far more than just a symbol of how healthy our lifestyle is, or of how body confident we may be.
Fat is one of the most important elements of our diet, and the fatty tissue beneath our skin plays a part in keeping us alive and healthy. In chemical terms, fats are long, chain-like molecules that have many roles across all forms of life on Earth. Among their many useful properties, they are an excellent way to store energy, and many organisms convert energy from the food they eat into reserves of fat - from the vegetable oils found in the seeds and fruits of plants, to the inches-thick layer of blubber beneath the skin of large marine mammals.
It is only in recent decades, as an abundance of energy-rich food has caused an epidemic of obesity worldwide, that this vital component of our diet has become so problematic. When we store too much fat, it causes the vital functions of our fatty tissue to start to fail, leading to many different health issues, from diabetes to stroke to fatty liver disease.
For most of human history, though, our ancestors were more preoccupied with dying from malnutrition and hunger than with looking toned and svelte, and our body fat was the energy store that saved people when food was scarce. In many non-Western cultures, animal fat remains something of a luxury food item, or even a delicacy.
WHAT IS FAT?
This story is from the August 2022 edition of BBC Science Focus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2022 edition of BBC Science Focus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
5 SIMPLE WAYS TO RECLAIM YOUR ATTENTION
Primed for constant interruptions, your brain is now distracting itself, says science. It's time to break the cycle and retrain your focus
GOING ROGUE
Some planets are stuck following the same orbital paths their entire lives. Others break free to wander alone through the vast, empty darkness of interstellar space and there's a lot more of them than you might think
BED BUGS VS THE WORLD
When bloodthirsty bed bugs made headlines for infesting Paris Fashion Week in 2023, it shone a spotlight on a problem that's been making experts itch for decades: the arms race going on between bed bugs and humans. Now, with the 2024 Summer Olympics fast approaching, the stakes are higher than ever
THE EYES THAT WATCH THE SKY
When it launches in 2026, the Copernicus programme's Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring satellite will give us a new window on to Earth's atmosphere... And how we're altering it
TIME-RESTRICTED EATING LINKED TO HIGHER RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEATH
Skipping breakfast might not be so good for your health, after all
INSIDE THE PROJECT TO SCAN THOUSANDS OF RARE SPECIMENS
A major collaborative project has created 3D reconstructions of previously locked away museum specimens
VIDEO IS FIRST EVIDENCE OF AN ORCA KILLING A GREAT WHITE
Tourists sailing off the South African coast film a never-before-seen event: a lone orca attacking a 2.5m shark
AI REVEALS PROSTATE CANCER IS NOT JUST ONE DISEASE
DNA analysis carried out by artificial intelligence has helped scientists make a discovery that could revolutionise future treatment
MYSTERIOUS WAVES DETECTED IN JUPITER'S CORE
Scientists hope unusual fluctuations in the gas giant's magnetic field might reveal what's inside
MINI ORGANS GROWN FROM UNBORN BABIES MARK A BREAKTHROUGH IN PRENATAL MEDICINE
A new technique could allow congenital conditions to be diagnosed and treated before birth