The evolutionary biology of human body fatness : thrift and control / Jonathan C.K. Wells.

By:

Wells, Jonathan C. K

Material type: Text

TextSeries: Cambridge studies in biological and evolutionary anthropology ; 58.Publication details: Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2010.Description: 1 online resource (xi, 382 pages) : illustrationsContent type:

text

Media type:

computer

Carrier type:

online resource

ISBN:

9780511691355
9780511691843
051169184X
0511691351
1107211387
9781107211384
1282637169
9781282637160
9786612637162
6612637161
0511692471
9780511692475
0511690614
9780511690617
0511689136
9780511689130

Subject(s): Genre/Form:

Additional physical formats: Print version:: Evolutionary biology of human body fatness.DDC classification:

599.9/4 22

LOC classification:

QP88.15 .W45 2010eb

NLM classification:

2010 C-867
QS 532.5.A3

Online resources:

Click here to access online

Contents:

Human fatness in broad context -- Proximate causes of lipid deposition and oxidation -- The ontogenetic development of adiposity -- The life-course induction of adiposity -- The fitness value of fat -- The evolutionary biology of adipose tissue -- Adiposity in hominin evolution -- Adiposity in human evolution -- The evolution of human obesity.

Summary: "This comprehensive synthesis of current medical and evolutionary literature addresses key questions about the role body fat plays in human biology. It explores how body energy stores are regulated, how they develop over the life-course, what biological functions they serve, and how they may have evolved. There is now substantial evidence that human adiposity is not merely a buffer against the threat of starvation, but is also a resource for meeting the energy costs of growth, reproduction and immune function. As such it may be considered as important in our species evolution as other traits such as bipedalism, large brains, and long life spans and developmental periods. Indeed, adiposity is integrally linked with these other traits, and with our capacity to colonise and inhabit diverse ecosystems. It is because human metabolism is so sensitive to environmental cues that manipulative economic forces are now generating the current obesity epidemic"--Provided by publisher.

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Item type	Home library	Collection	Call number	Materials specified	Status	Date due	Barcode
Electronic-Books	OPJGU Sonepat- Campus	E-Books EBSCO			Available

Includes bibliographical references (pages 302-362) and index.

"This comprehensive synthesis of current medical and evolutionary literature addresses key questions about the role body fat plays in human biology. It explores how body energy stores are regulated, how they develop over the life-course, what biological functions they serve, and how they may have evolved. There is now substantial evidence that human adiposity is not merely a buffer against the threat of starvation, but is also a resource for meeting the energy costs of growth, reproduction and immune function. As such it may be considered as important in our species evolution as other traits such as bipedalism, large brains, and long life spans and developmental periods. Indeed, adiposity is integrally linked with these other traits, and with our capacity to colonise and inhabit diverse ecosystems. It is because human metabolism is so sensitive to environmental cues that manipulative economic forces are now generating the current obesity epidemic"--Provided by publisher.