Do we control our fat, or does it control us? For generations, overweight individuals have been stigmatized and cast as lazy. But scientists are coming to understand fat as a fascinating and dynamic organ—one whose size has more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Through real-life stories of hunter-gatherers, sumo wrestlers, and supermodels, NOVA explores the complex functions of fat and the role it plays in controlling hunger, hormones, and even reproduction.
Guest Cast
Hope Davis
voices Herself (Narrator)Episode Discussion
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This was a poor piece of reportage. In fact, deceitful.
The filmmakers shouted in the headline, and hinted at the start, the possibility that fat might be good. Then, they sucker-punched it.
For instance: showing a tribe of "hunter-gatherers" that never gets heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or cancer and revealing that the tribe's glory is the fat obtained from animals. They show a person picking a berry (!) and laboriously digging for a root. But they don't give the percent. If they did, they'd have to admit it is mostly fat, with some organ meats, some protein in muscle meat, and a little bit of carb. The tribe thrives on animal fat.
They even have a segment that proves that the physical exercise the tribe gets does not drive metabolism/health. It is the fat.
But then the "BigNeglect" gambit kicks in. It starts with the question "What happens when you have too much fat," and never explains that today's obesity is not caused by eating fat, it is caused by high carbohydrate consumption.
The ketogenic lifestyle is never mentioned.
As to the "personal responsibility" angle? My position is this: if you are on glucose and it is all around you and cheap to buy and it is highly processed/concentrated and it is highly marketed, you can get hooked on sugar. If you have emotional issues or other triggers, you will overeat sugar. You will become obese and get the usual diseases. If you don't know any better, and Food/Medical Authorities tell you to stay on glucose, you may end up addicted – out of your control. Personal willpower has no chance.
On sufficient high-quality fat, humans run on ketones, and we do not get hungry. Then, personal responsibility has a chance. It kicks in. You are responsible to a) not binge eat anyway; and b) stay on ketones; c) take responsibility for healing the damage that triggers your binging.
This Nova was a hit-job on fat.