Fat: Why It’s Not Your Fault with Sylvia Tara

Aired Thursday, 4 May 2017, 7:00 PM ET

Fat: Why It’s Not Your Fault with Sylvia Tara

Fat has long been a subject of national and personal shame; a
repugnant biological adversary that we obsessively seek to
eradicate. In 2014 alone, the United States spent $60 billion
fighting fat—more money, even, than the $44.7 billion budgeted for
Homeland Security. But how much do we know about fat, really?

In THE SECRET LIFE OF FAT: The Science Behind the Body’s Least
Understood Organ and What It Means for You, biochemist Sylvia Tara
reveals the ways in which our battle with the bulge has been
misinformed and misdirected. Fat, it turns out, isn’t just
unsightly blubber; it’s an essential and critically misunderstood
body part, an endocrine organ that is as vital to our health as our
heart, lungs, or stomach.

Sylvia Tara joins Sandie Sedgbeer to discuss the trailblazing
research that is uncovering fat’s true identity. She recounts
fascinating medical stories and introduces the scientists who have
revealed fat’s secrets. Tara explores the history and science
behind this multifaceted organ’s hidden talents to explain
precisely why the fight against fat is so challenging.

Topics include:

* The history and science behind this multifaceted organ’s hidden
talents
* Why and how fat protects us from disease and may even help us
live longer
* The real reasons fighting fat is so challenging
* The unexpected tricks fat uses to preserve itself even when we’re
trying our hardest to lose it
* The role that viruses and antibiotics play in making us fat
* Could probiotics be the key to leanness?
* What you can do to combat fat’s peculiar tactics
* And more…

About the Guest: Sylvia Tara

SYLVIA TARA holds a PhD in biochemistry from the University of
California at San Diego and an MBA from the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania. She was a consultant with McKinsey
& Company and has worked at the world’s largest biotechnology
companies. She lives in the Los Angeles area.

Website: http://thesecretlifeoffat.com/