"Enlisting thirteen anthropologists and one fat activist, editors and anthropologists Don Kulick and Anne Meneley have produced an unconventional and unprecedented examination of fat as a concept, a substance, and a lifestyle. Edgy and non-judgmental, Fat steers the conversation away from the heavily trodden ground of health, cosmetic concerns, and cheap jokes, and moves it in a completely different direction, dissecting familiar institutions like Starbucks, Spam, pornography, medicine, religion, high school, and more - as well as providing glimpses into less familiar cultures where fat is venerated, and even considered something to cherish and protect."--Jacket.