Zack Rocks and Ozzygoddess... this is kind of directed at you (but anyone is welcome to chime in).

I just read something and am looking for verification of correctness. Here's the claim:

1. The liver is largely responsible for metabolizing fat into energy.
2. When the kidneys are overloaded they push some of the load to the liver -- which in-turn makes the liver run less optimally at its intended job.
3. Drinking plenty of water helps alleviate the load on the kidney.

Therefore..... Drinking adequate water aids in fat metabolism.

Is this true? Is it quantifiable or one of those down-in-the-noise sorts of things?

So far as I can tell, based on my preliminary knowledge of physiology, you're entirely correct. Though, the liver has other jobs in addition to fat metabolism. (It also removes toxins. Like booze.) This has been explored a little by some commercial diets, but never really made it to main stream because there's no money in it.