Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally dissolvable in organic solvents and largely not dissolvable in water. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure and composition. “Although the words "oils", "fats", and "lipids" are all used to refer to fats, "oils" is usually used to refer to fats that are liquids at normal room temperature, while "fats" is usually used to refer to fats that are solids at normal room temperature.”

Examples of edible animal fats are lard, fish oil, and butter. They are obtained from fats in the milk, meat and under the skin of an animal. Examples of edible plant fats are peanut butter, soy beans, sunflower, sesame, coconut, olive, and vegetable oils. Margarine and vegetable shortening, which can be derived from the above oils, are also good examples. These examples of fats can be categorized into saturated fats and unsaturated fats, and saturated fats are a lot worse for you, than unsaturated.