Waisted: The Biology of Body Fat

by Nathan Denton

Overview

Waisted: The Biology of Body Fat outlines the fascinating, often misunderstood and sometimes controversial biology of fat, otherwise known as adipose tissue. It provides a comprehensive, evidence-based perspective on fat biology and its crucial role in human evolution, health, disease, and society. The content draws upon biomedical, epidemiological, social and evolutionary research to understand the striking relationship between body fat distribution and health outcomes. Using digestible analogies, real-world examples and images, it highlights the multi-faceted relationship between adipose biology and society. Waisted clearly conveys the key concepts and assumptions that can lead to negative perceptions of fat, and reframes these challenges to highlight the underappreciated importance of adipose tissue in humans. Waisted is an accessible yet in-depth exploration of the subject that is suitable for both specialists and non-specialists alike. It is a highly valuable resource for clinicians, health practitioners, biomedical researchers, and students who study adipose biology, obesity, and diseases related to fat dysfunction. This book also provides an interesting sociological and anthropological read for anyone who wants to gain a broader and deeper appreciation of the unique role that adipose tissue plays in human evolution and society, by considering how biological and social factors intersect.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192634573
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	01/06/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	312
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Nathan Denton obtained his PhD in 2018 from the University of Oxford. In his doctoral research, he explored how fat tissue from distinct parts of the body behave differently and this relates to overall health. This involved examining cell biology, growth factors, and the extracellular matrix as well as genetic and epigenetic factors. Nathan has published peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals such as Molecular Metabolism, International Journal of Obesity, Nature Communications, and Diabetes.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. A Brief History of Body Shape3. What Does Fat Do? 4. I Can Get Fat Where? The Other Types of Fat5. What Shape is Healthy? Body Composition, Body Shape and Health6. Same but Different: Fat Biology around the Body7. Defining Your Shape: The Determinants of Body Fat Distribution8. Conclusions

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Austen M Smith, DO (Brigham and Women's Hospital)
Description: This novel provides a detailed overview on the structure and function of adipose tissue, with a keen focus on how these characteristics change depending on adipose tissue location within the body. The review is comprehensive, beginning with the advantage of body fat in the context of human evolution, survival, and reproduction. The volume then highlights the metabolism of fat, subtypes of adipose tissue, methods to measure and assess human adipose tissue, consequences of excess adiposity, genetics of obesity, and past, current, and future interventions used to alter adiposity. The author concludes his work with remarks on addressing and combating the global obesity epidemic.
Purpose: The overall purpose of the book is to provide the information and knowledge necessary to reframe society's traditional view on body fat. The author implies fat is not inherently health adverse but is protective against disease depending on adipose tissue morphology, subtype, and location. Metabolic consequences and morbidity develop not only in response to excess adiposity, but more importantly in response to the unfavorable distribution of body fat, such as within the abdomen, viscera, and muscle. The author meets his objective through detailed explanations of adipose tissue biology supported by hundreds of published scientific sources listed after each chapter.
Audience: This novel will appeal to all those interested in learning more about adipose tissue structure, function, and relationship to human health. Although the book uses medical and scientific terminology, the author incorporates layman's terminology, graphics, and analogies to enhance understanding and augment learning for individuals from nonmedical backgrounds. In addition, the book is all-encompassing; therefore, specialists within the field of obesity/adiposity have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge on esoteric topics, such as bone marrow adipose tissue. The author is a credible authority on the subject, obtaining a PhD through research on human fat distribution.
Features: This book covers the physiology of human adipose tissue, specifically white adipose tissue, and its relationship to human health relative to its location within the body. The author nicely outlines the development of excess adiposity, providing insight into unfavorable adipocyte responses to excess calorie consumption and consequential ectopic and visceral fat accumulation, noting the differences observed between sexes and ethnic groups. Creative analogies are used throughout the book to explain granular concepts such as macronutrient metabolism and glucose homeostasis. Although appetite regulation is mentioned briefly, providing a more robust overview of the anorexigenic and orexigenic pathways of appetite control would be of benefit to readers, linking overnutrition and adipocyte dysfunction.
Assessment: Most novels covering the subject of human body fat view this tissue through a negative lens, linking its role in the obesity epidemic. This is a unique text, highlighting the vital functions of adipose tissue on human health and development and its protective response to excess calorie consumption. The book provides readers an opportunity to reframe their relationship with body fat, imploring us to not only focus on the consequences of increased fat quantity, but also on the location and distribution of body fat. Hopefully this shift in focus will grant fat "the respect it deserves" and ultimately open doors to solutions for attenuating the obesity epidemic.

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