The risks and benefits associated with dietary fats have long been mired in confusion and misunderstanding. How can these nutrients be at the core of the obesity epidemic and deadly chronic diseases — yet still be absolutely essential to life? The answer is not simple because fats are not all alike, nor is any one type of fat single-faceted. Rather, fats are complex nutrients, worthy of your understanding not only to inspire a healthy diet but so you can appreciate how they energize, build, and fortify your body.