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A review by rachelemm
Fat by Hanne Blank
5.0
I am delighted to report that I loved this this little book! I requested a copy on Netgalley on a complete whim looking for something short to read on a topic that seemed interesting. I was rewarded with an intelligent, fresh exploration of our relationship with fat.
I was intrigued to learn that fat has not always been treated as the enemy of good health with medics of ages gone by often seeing it as a sign of wealth and access to food rather than something to be warded off like an evil spirit.
The distinction between the fat in our foods and the fat on our bodies was also interesting; I didn't know that fat, depending on where it is on your body, could be different colours for example.
With so much written about ways to get rid of body fat and cut fat out of your diet, it was refreshing to read something that took a more forgiving view of fat, treating it as any other substance to be studied and understood and not feared.
I particularly enjoyed the section on fat and race with black and fat being conflated together to become something to be disgusted by and avoided. I was interested as well to read how differently fat men and fat women are viewed in the world with one subject of the book preferring to start treatment to go from being a fat woman to being a fat man just so they could exist in this world as a fat person in peace!
I would highly recommend this short but fascinating read, you will almost certainly learn something new and maybe be kinder to those love handles after reading it.
I was intrigued to learn that fat has not always been treated as the enemy of good health with medics of ages gone by often seeing it as a sign of wealth and access to food rather than something to be warded off like an evil spirit.
The distinction between the fat in our foods and the fat on our bodies was also interesting; I didn't know that fat, depending on where it is on your body, could be different colours for example.
With so much written about ways to get rid of body fat and cut fat out of your diet, it was refreshing to read something that took a more forgiving view of fat, treating it as any other substance to be studied and understood and not feared.
I particularly enjoyed the section on fat and race with black and fat being conflated together to become something to be disgusted by and avoided. I was interested as well to read how differently fat men and fat women are viewed in the world with one subject of the book preferring to start treatment to go from being a fat woman to being a fat man just so they could exist in this world as a fat person in peace!
I would highly recommend this short but fascinating read, you will almost certainly learn something new and maybe be kinder to those love handles after reading it.