Fat

Object Lessons is a series of short books that explore the hidden lives of ordinary things, such as fat. It examines fat as a state, possession, metaphor, symptom, object of desire, and intellectual and carnal.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 12 November 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Object Lessons is a captivating series of short books that delves into the hidden lives of ordinary things. These beautifully designed volumes explore the multifaceted nature of a seemingly simple concept: fat.

From a public enemy to a crucial macronutrient, a health risk, a punchline, a moneymaker, an epidemic, a sexual fetish, a moral failing, a necessary bodily organ, a conveyor of flavor, and a freak-show spectacle, fat has been subjected to a wide range of definitions, identities, and meanings. It has been demonized in medicine and public policy, adored by chefs and nutritional faddists, simultaneously desired and abhorred in terms of sex, and courted by a multi-billion-dollar fitness and weight-loss industry.

Ironically, for many people, "fat" is nothing more than an insult or a state of despair. In Hanne Blank's groundbreaking book, Fat, fat is explored as a state, a possession, a metaphor, a symptom, an object of desire, and an intellectual and carnal experience. Here, "feeling fat" and literal fat merge, blurring the boundaries and infusing one another with richer, fattier meanings.

Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic, further amplifying the exploration of fat's complexities and its impact on our lives.

Weight: 136g
Dimension: 121 x 165 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501333286