BIRMINGHAM, AL — Fat. It’s a popular topic in America these days. We see countless media reports on the health risks of obesity. We read lists detailing our fattest cities. We’re bombarded by ads for this diet plan or that diet plan. But it’s all so confusing….trans fats, polyunsaturated fats, good carbs/bad carbs, miracle pills.
Can any sense be made of such perplexing questions? A UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) metabolic geneticist thinks the answer is yes, and so he’s written a handy new book explaining just how fat works.
How Fat Works, by Philip Wood, D.V.M., Ph.D., explains the effects of genetics, nutrition, exercise and medications on body fat. Inspired by his experiences teaching medical students about health conditions linked to obesity, along with his own successful battle against overweight, the book is intended for both the lay reader and medical professionals.
“It is a book about improving health by understanding where fat comes from and where it goes,” said Wood, who is the director of the division of genomics in the UAB Department of Genetics. “One goal of the book is to empower general readers to learn enough about the nature of fat to have the most effective conversations possible with their doctors about their own health. It will also provide a broad overview for health-care professionals that bridges basic science with clinical issues.”
In the book, Wood explains the science behind common weight loss regimens and why those approaches might succeed….or fail. He discusses the role of fat in the healthy body, how fat is made and how it is stored and burned. And he demonstrates how excess fat can lead to an array of metabolic disorders and diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, insulin resistance and hypercholesterolemia.
Wood will be present for a book-signing at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, at the Barnes & Noble bookshop at the Summit, in Birmingham. How Fat Works is published by Harvard University Press.How Fat Works includes chapters on the genetics of fat, how exercise burns fat and fad diets along with an easily understood description of how fat is made and stored in cells. The book is a valuable resource for anyone, medical professional or general reader, who is interested in the nature of fat, where it comes from and, perhaps most importantly, how to make it go away.