For many, fat is a dirty word, a subject of shame, an unwanted part of our bodies. But according to biochemist Sylvia Tara, fat is our least understood body part. Bringing together historical perspectives with cutting-edge research, she reveals fat’s true identity as an endocrine organ that is critical to our health. Fat triggers puberty, enables our reproductive and immune systems, and even affects brain size. It’s so critical, in fact, that our own body endowed it with self-defense measures: fat can grow back despite what we eat using stem cells; it influences our appetites; and it uses bacteria, genetics, and even contagious viruses to expand itself. As a culture, our efforts to fight fat are often misinformed and misdirected. Tara shows how, by knowing how fat works, we can gain better control over it. In conversation with KUOW’s Ruby de Luna, Tara will share her insights about how to transform both your physical and mental health.
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