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3.01 AVERAGE
3.01 AVERAGE
Original review: https://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/2018/01/life-in-fat-lane-by-cherie-bennett.html
What an interesting book. I honestly thought that the metabolism disease that the author used was legit but when I tried researching about it to see what it really was, it turned out that it was all fictional. However, I do know that there are some metabolic disorders that can cause weight gain so I know this isn’t completely fiction. But the one thing that bothers me in today’s world is how many people use that as an excuse to explain their weight as opposed to simple laziness and an overwhelming love for food. I mean, your body is your own body but don’t go around telling people that it’s a disorder when it’s really not because I know for a fact that some people pass it off as such. But anyways, that’s my one second rant about this whole situation.
On to the book – it was definitely an eye-opener to truly see the struggles that Lara went from being a teen pageant winner to becoming 200 plus pounds. It’s striking and clearly a huge stressor. I think if that ever happened to me, I would be so depressed because there was literally nothing you can do about it. And clearly Lara was trying her very best from exercising every day to cutting down her calorie intake to the barest minimum and she was still gaining. For me, who has always been on an unending diet, that kind of hardship is unfathomable. At least for me, when I gain weight it’s because I know I have been eating terribly recently and vice versa so it’s something I can control but how can one control something that’s completely out of one’s hands? I felt a lot of sympathy for Lara.
As for Lara’s family – the only person I liked was her brother. Everyone else was absolutely terrible. Her father clearly was the biggest pig in the world and only cared about the outer beauty and once Lara started gaining weight, he pretty much looked at her in disgust. I mean, seriously? She’s your own daughter and you know she has this disorder and yet you’re treating her like that. And for her mother? She’s even worst because she has no self-confidence at all. She’s beautiful and thin (very important apparently) and yet lacks so much confidence that it was demeaning. Also, she was willing to let her husband see that other lady and not only was she not doing anything about it, she agreed to “share” her husband. What kind of self-pitying lady is that? And what kind of role model are you showing your kids? It was just so bad that I was honestly surprised that Lara’s brother turned out decent.
In regards to Lara’s friends, I didn’t like any of them – they were all shallow and quickly shunned her when she started gaining weight. The only friend I liked was Molly and that’s because she was true and loyal. She didn’t really care as much about weight even though she was on a constant diet but at least she didn’t degrade others nor judge them (as much). So I was glad that Lara at least had one remaining true friend to guide her through this struggling journey. However, I didn’t really understand her relationship with her boyfriend. It was a little strange for me.
Finally, Lara as a character received mix feelings from me. On one hand, I had great sympathy for her but on the other hand, the way how she treated other large people was so demeaning. She always wanted to not associate with them and considered herself better even though she literally looked exactly the same. Whereas in the beginning, she was polite and charming. I thought her personality downgraded a lot even though some of it is understandable but not all of it.
Overall, this was an interesting read simply because I really got to understand more about people who DO struggle with these types of metabolic disorders and rather than judging them upon first glance, I should probably be more understanding. I would recommend it for those who would be interested in such reads.
What an interesting book. I honestly thought that the metabolism disease that the author used was legit but when I tried researching about it to see what it really was, it turned out that it was all fictional. However, I do know that there are some metabolic disorders that can cause weight gain so I know this isn’t completely fiction. But the one thing that bothers me in today’s world is how many people use that as an excuse to explain their weight as opposed to simple laziness and an overwhelming love for food. I mean, your body is your own body but don’t go around telling people that it’s a disorder when it’s really not because I know for a fact that some people pass it off as such. But anyways, that’s my one second rant about this whole situation.
On to the book – it was definitely an eye-opener to truly see the struggles that Lara went from being a teen pageant winner to becoming 200 plus pounds. It’s striking and clearly a huge stressor. I think if that ever happened to me, I would be so depressed because there was literally nothing you can do about it. And clearly Lara was trying her very best from exercising every day to cutting down her calorie intake to the barest minimum and she was still gaining. For me, who has always been on an unending diet, that kind of hardship is unfathomable. At least for me, when I gain weight it’s because I know I have been eating terribly recently and vice versa so it’s something I can control but how can one control something that’s completely out of one’s hands? I felt a lot of sympathy for Lara.
As for Lara’s family – the only person I liked was her brother. Everyone else was absolutely terrible. Her father clearly was the biggest pig in the world and only cared about the outer beauty and once Lara started gaining weight, he pretty much looked at her in disgust. I mean, seriously? She’s your own daughter and you know she has this disorder and yet you’re treating her like that. And for her mother? She’s even worst because she has no self-confidence at all. She’s beautiful and thin (very important apparently) and yet lacks so much confidence that it was demeaning. Also, she was willing to let her husband see that other lady and not only was she not doing anything about it, she agreed to “share” her husband. What kind of self-pitying lady is that? And what kind of role model are you showing your kids? It was just so bad that I was honestly surprised that Lara’s brother turned out decent.
In regards to Lara’s friends, I didn’t like any of them – they were all shallow and quickly shunned her when she started gaining weight. The only friend I liked was Molly and that’s because she was true and loyal. She didn’t really care as much about weight even though she was on a constant diet but at least she didn’t degrade others nor judge them (as much). So I was glad that Lara at least had one remaining true friend to guide her through this struggling journey. However, I didn’t really understand her relationship with her boyfriend. It was a little strange for me.
Finally, Lara as a character received mix feelings from me. On one hand, I had great sympathy for her but on the other hand, the way how she treated other large people was so demeaning. She always wanted to not associate with them and considered herself better even though she literally looked exactly the same. Whereas in the beginning, she was polite and charming. I thought her personality downgraded a lot even though some of it is understandable but not all of it.
Overall, this was an interesting read simply because I really got to understand more about people who DO struggle with these types of metabolic disorders and rather than judging them upon first glance, I should probably be more understanding. I would recommend it for those who would be interested in such reads.
I remember thinking the science didn't make sense in this book and that the dad was a jerk. I think this a very accurate summary. This was not a bad book, but i did not really connect with the characters.