Books - Fat: It's Not What You Think

Fat: It's Not What You Think provides a refreshing antidote to the misinformation and misleading hype that fuels our misguided fear of fat--both the fat we eat, and the fat we carry around. By explaining its biology and sharing the latest research, veteran science writer Connie Leas convincingly frees fat from its bad reputation. For example, she discusses how our much-maligned fatty tissue plays a critical role in maintaining health. Among other vital functions, it stores energy, produces hormones, builds cell membranes, bolsters immunity, and insulates our vital organs. Leas also contradicts many long-held assumptions about fat. For example:

·No one has ever shown a correlation between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease.
·Doctors often prescribe statin drugs when our cholesterol level reaches 240, even though this is actually within the normal range.
·A porterhouse steak contains more unsaturated fat than saturated fat.
·Today Americans consume 15 percent less fat than we did in 1970, yet overall we are 20 percent fatter.
·Overweight people live longer than those in the so-called "healthy" range of the BMI scale.

What's more, Leas explains often-confusing terms such as triglycerides, polyunsaturated, omega-3, and trans-fat that are tossed around in the media, but which few people really understand.

Having spent years researching this subject, Leas has transformed technical material from scientific research into a lively work of popular appeal. Chock full of useful--and sometimes startling--information, Fat: It's Not What You Think is a valuable health resource presented in an accessible, entertaining format.

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