Crossword Genius

Nation's obese people exploited by the elite? (3,3,2,3,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

the fat of the land

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'elite?' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'nation's obese people exploited by the' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'obese' could be 'fat' (similar in meaning) and 'fat' is located in the answer.
'by' could be 'of' and 'of' is located in the answer.
an anagram of 'the' is 'het' which is located in the remaining letters.
'nation' could be 'land' (synonyms) and 'land' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'the' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for the fat of the land that I've seen before include "heavyweights?" , "The best that is obtainable" , "nation's obese?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.