Lipids / Fat
Page Updated on October 04, 2007
We always tend to look at fat as a bad thing, but it actually is hanging on our bodies for a good reason. Fat is our primary energy source. It's slow burning, so it lasts a long time. It's easy to store; your body can stick it just about anywhere. It's easy to make, too; our bodies can take a protein or carbohydrate molecule and turn it into fat. (Can you imagine being able to take some oranges and turn them into a stick of butter? It's pretty amazing.) Fat is a wonder fuel, and if we could use it in our car engines, we would put the oil companies out of business.
Fat is great when you're working out in the fields for your food, running from wild beasts, or trying to last through a hard winter. Fat has helped our species to evolve. Unfortunately, today we just don't need it the way we once did. We sit a lot for various purposes, and we eat a lot for various reasons, but our bodies still keeps making and storing fat like they always did, and we all just keep getting fatter.
...by Feed