FROM THE EDITOR
It’s fair to say that in the West we have an unhealthy relationship with fat. In the UK, before the pandemic, the NHS reported that 28 per cent of adults in England were classified as obese.
Fourteen per cent of children aged four to five fall in the same bracket. And these figures look to be climbing.
The causes for this are complex and tangled. Your genetics, how much you earn and how little you sleep can all help a scientist predict how much you might weigh. Add to that cocktail the availability of food, as well as the way it’s marketed and sold to us, and it becomes clear that resisting the bad stuff takes a Herculean effort.
At the same time, fat is also demonised. Both traditional and social media seem to have a pathological obsession with chimeric body standards that change year after year. Meanwhile, health influencers, who know that those of us who are overweight want to change, bombard us with conflicting messages about our weight and our diets. Some will tell you that low-fat, low-calorie (and low joy) meals are the only way to shed some pounds. Others suggest you eat mostly fat, while ditching the carbs. It can feel like a dizzying merry-go-round.
So, with all the mixed messaging and noise around the subject, we thought it was worth asking biologist Tom Ireland to be the voice of sanity and explore what fat actually does in the body. Over in our feature It’s time to rethink our relationship with fat he explains the difference between good and bad fats, why we need fat and why a balanced diet with moderate exercise is the sensible way to keep your body happy.
Daniel Bennett, Editor
CONTRIBUTORS
DR RADHA MODGIL
Radha is the latest addition to our new roster of columnists. As a GP and BBC radio presenter, she’ll be separating the facts from the fads in the world of health and wellbeing research.
PROF ADAM HART
Is rewilding just a fashionable trend? Adam, an entomologist and conservation expert, shines a light on the less glamorous side of protecting nature.
BEN HOARE
We aren’t the only species that builds structures. Ben, a wildlife writer and self-described “nature nerd”, steps into the incredible world of animal architecture.
IAN TAYLOR
We could all do with an extra bit of shuteye. Science and health writer Ian gives you all the reasons you need to find a dark, quiet place and just close your eyes for a minute.
ON THE BBC THIS MONTH…
Unvaccinated
Hannah Fry meets a group of people who have so far refused the COVID-19 vaccine, and sees whether the science can change their minds.
Available on BBC iPlayer
The Curious Cases Of Rutherford & Fry
The scientific sleuths return for a new series. In the first episode, they grapple with the psychology of attention – how you can grab it and lose it.
BBC Radio 4, Starts 16 Aug, 11am Also available on BBC Sounds
The Engineers: The Future Of Cars
Engineers at the cutting-edge of car design explore what the future looks like on four wheels. Kevin Fong hosts this panel discussion, held at the Science Museum.
BBC World Service and BBC Sounds
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