Food and Diet

Fat phobia starts in women when young girls developing natural feminine curves often spend countless hours of hand wringing over something they can do little about. Although this used to be only a female problem, it now affects many boys. At its worst, this preoccupation causes eating disorders, all too common in today's teenagers. The situation does not end with the self-conscious, lack of maturity years, but often extends throughout people's entire lives. Unfortunately, many teens today are obese, which can be blamed directly on improper diet and lack of exercise.

Fat comes in three different varieties: saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. This article will attempt to explain the differences. First, the basic backbone of a fat molecule is a chain of carbon atoms which is termed a fatty acid. The fatty acids are then chemically bonded to a molecule of glycerol. Each atom of carbon has four potential bonding sites for connection to other atoms, usually to the next carbon in the chain, but also to a hydrogen atom, an occasional oxygen atom or combination thrown in to keep things interesting.