Reviews with content warning for Medical trauma - You Just Need to Lose Weight: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People

Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

You Just Need to Lose Weight: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon

39 reviews

skudiklier's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

5.0

I thought Aubrey Gordon's first book was phenomenal and haven't stopped recommending it, but I'm probably going to have to switch to recommending this one to most folks instead--it just so clearly breaks down all of the things people say about anti-fat bias. I get into arguments and often don't know what to say or how to back up what I'm saying, and this book is the best resource for that. I only wish I had a physical copy so it would be easier to reference things, rather than the audiobook. For people who really do want to learn more, or at least take the time to understand this "side" of things, I'll definitely be trying to get them to read this book. It's so easy to get sidetracked in points that aren't really about the real issue here, and I love the way Gordon addresses those efficiently while still staying on-topic and bringing things back to the central issue at hand. I could not recommend this book enough.

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rorikae's review against another edition

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challenging emotional medium-paced

4.75

'You Just Need to Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths about Fat People' by Aubrey Gordon is a comprehensive look at fatphobia, specifically at what people say to and about fat people. By breaking down different topics into myths, Gordon presents the reader not only with the nonsense behind these fatphobic talking points but also direct ways that the reader can combat those myths if they encounter them. One of my favorites pieces is that Gordon presents reflection questions at the end of each chapter to help readers interrogate their own beliefs as well as ways to actively combat fatphobia in their life.
The audiobook is great, read by Gordon herself. I would love to own a hard copy so that I can review the reflection questions regularly. I think this book is a necessity for everyone living in our society. There is so much to learn from it and it presents many opportunities to grow and do better.

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maryellen's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative

5.0

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drraytay's review against another edition

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challenging informative fast-paced

4.0

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courtneyorr's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

5.0

I am so onboard with everything about this book, and I wish everyone would read it. It has been impeccably researched, yet is presented in an incredibly approachable volume. Fat activist Aubrey Gordon discusses things like the intersections of fatness and desirability politics and why “fatphobia” isn’t the best word to describe the oppression of fat people, and she encourages readers to include fatness or size in their understanding of intersectionality, alongside things like race, gender, disability status, and countless other factors. While those points were among my main takeaways, I learned so much more and am left hungry for further reading from fat activists, especially those with multiple marginalized identities.

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downsophialane's review against another edition

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challenging informative

5.0

This is an excellent primer for anyone hoping to do anti-fat bias work in this own lives. Much of the material will be familiar to those who have consumed Aubrey Gordon's previous work, but the reference style of the chapters make this a valuable resource to share with people in your life or equip yourself for conversations with people vouching anti-fat bias.

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notmeganyoung's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

A great primer for dismantling anti-fat bias, but not a book for someone already very familiar with fat liberation. If you listen to it from beginning to end it gets repetitive, but I suppose it’s structured that way so that you can read it out of order or just a little bit at a time. I will recommend this book to some friends and family but unfortunately I think this is the kind of book where the people who could *really* benefit from reading it will not be the ones reading it. That’s not to say it wasn’t excellently written or that there’s nothing to gain for you here if you are already a fan of Aubrey Gordon. There is a lot here that she has said before on Maintenance Phase, but there’s also new stuff here. For me though, I was missing her sense of humor and fiery passion which are so evident in her conversations. The reflection questions and opportunities for action at the end of each chapter were great.

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howlinglibraries's review against another edition

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"You Just Need to Lose Weight" is a valuable resource that has a lot to offer for the right audience — most notably, people who want to learn how to fight anti-fatness from ground zero.

As someone who has dealt with this in my own life and the lives of my loved ones since I was born, I didn't feel like I was gaining anything except the feeling of being generally miserable because the entire book up to my stopping point was such a painfully honest reminder of how so many people view fat bodies (and even "average" bodies in many countries).

Great book for a lot of people, just way too high-risk/low-reward for me with the impact this author's blunt prose had on my mental health.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: the author takes care to discuss the impacts of anti-fatness on BIPOC fat individuals as well as using trans-inclusive terms.

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