Every breathing thing has <em>some</em> form of fat— no matter how hard we may try to eliminate it all. They are a source of energy in foods, and each type of fat is a combination of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Fat provides 9 calories per gram— more than <em>twice</em> the amount provided by carbs or protein! The body needs fat to function because it provides essential fatty acids that cannot be made by the body. Learn more about the many different types of fat here: