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Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'
You Are Not a Before Picture: How to Finally Make Peace with Your Body, for Good by Alex Light
6 reviews
nicoleheims's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Eating disorder
xabbeylongx's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Spoilers Ahead:
So, this is the first non-fiction piece of writing I’ve read out of personal preference. I want to start diversifying my reading list, and I thought what better way to start it off than with something I’m very passionate about? Luckily, body positivity is something that I can really understand and get behind, but there’s still so much to learn, so I thought what better way to get educated than read memoirs? Also, it helps that one of my assignments is to write about various different non-fiction texts. And, overall, I can say I really enjoyed reading it.
I would definitely recommend this book, especially for people looking to broaden their horizons and expand their knowledge on TW fatphobia. There are a lot of triggering topics discussed in this book, like TW eating disorders, fat shaming, body dysmorphia, and other topics like that, so if you’re likely to be affected by that sort of information, it’s probably not the best read for you. However, I think it’s very informative, and it’s really good to read about things like this.
One thing that I really liked is that she wrote about it from the heart, and you can tell that from the start. Right from the get-go, you can tell that Light is chatty, and has a conversational tone, and it really forms a relationship, between us as readers and her as the author. She creates a safe environment, free of judgement, and sometimes it’s really refreshing to hear the same things you’ve gone through, but from someone else’s perspective; it really helps you to feel less alone. Personally speaking, I found her words, although very deep and something uncomfortable, very soothing at times, because sometimes it feels nice, realising you aren’t as alone as you feel you are.
Throughout this book, Light refers to the opinions of other people, as she recognises that, although she does experience fatphobia, as a white, able-bodied cis-gendered woman she will experience it on a different scale to other people of different genders, cultures, race and disabilities. I really like how she acknowledges her privilege, and then uses her book as a platform for other people to use their voices. All in all, I just really loved this book. It was emotional but informative, it was a safe environment, and it was also very helpful to read, from a personal perspective. All of her facts and statistics were backed up, and she gives lots of other people to follow that also experienced the same thing. Overall, I would definitely recommend the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
blackcatkai's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
CW: fatphobia, body shaming, disordered eating, misogyny, diet culture
i initially listened to the audiobook then, as soon as i finished it, i purchased the physical hardcover so i could flip through it in the future when needed. so much of this book was so validating. i dont, personally, have the same history with diets as most fat people do (especially in this book specifically) but i definitely have a long history with negative self talk & low self worth when it comes to my appearance/weight. so though a few points in this book overall really don't apply to me, the majority of it does and brings up some amazing points.
Alex Light not only goes through a detailed account of many aspects of diet culture/beauty standards and their history, but also gets some input from other types of marginalised fat people in the BIPOC & Queer spectrums. i wish their were a bit more of their bits overall, but having that view represented at all can be so rare in a book like this. Alex also talks about her own experiences with eating disorders & fighting against internalised fatphobia & diet culture. she also gives actual real world advice and how to actively work on curating social media feeds, adjust self-talk & talk of food/weight/etc in general, finding ways to enjoy movement for movements sake, and overall coming to a better relationship with food and yourself.
i will absolutely be returning to this one again and again on my own journey to self acceptance & body neutrality & i highly recommend giving it a try.
i initially listened to the audiobook then, as soon as i finished it, i purchased the physical hardcover so i could flip through it in the future when needed. so much of this book was so validating. i dont, personally, have the same history with diets as most fat people do (especially in this book specifically) but i definitely have a long history with negative self talk & low self worth when it comes to my appearance/weight. so though a few points in this book overall really don't apply to me, the majority of it does and brings up some amazing points.
Alex Light not only goes through a detailed account of many aspects of diet culture/beauty standards and their history, but also gets some input from other types of marginalised fat people in the BIPOC & Queer spectrums. i wish their were a bit more of their bits overall, but having that view represented at all can be so rare in a book like this. Alex also talks about her own experiences with eating disorders & fighting against internalised fatphobia & diet culture. she also gives actual real world advice and how to actively work on curating social media feeds, adjust self-talk & talk of food/weight/etc in general, finding ways to enjoy movement for movements sake, and overall coming to a better relationship with food and yourself.
i will absolutely be returning to this one again and again on my own journey to self acceptance & body neutrality & i highly recommend giving it a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Eating disorder
lydiavsbooks's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
A really brilliant deconstruction of fatphobia and disordered body image. A perfect combination of being informative, biographical and self-helpy. Such a compassionate yet often humorous and just down to earth writing style that makes it feel like a chat with a friend.
A must read I think for everyone, especially women. I would say its maybe not aimed at those currently experiencing 'high level' eating disorders, instead maybe for further along in recovery, or for those with disordered eating or disordered relationships with their bodies that are in a place of actively wanting to deconstruct and work on this area.
A must read I think for everyone, especially women. I would say its maybe not aimed at those currently experiencing 'high level' eating disorders, instead maybe for further along in recovery, or for those with disordered eating or disordered relationships with their bodies that are in a place of actively wanting to deconstruct and work on this area.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
oceanwriter's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Happy U.S. publication day!
Where do I start?! This is a book I didn't realize I needed to read until I began. Though I've been fairly fortunate not to get stuck in the diet cycle, that hasn't taken away the feelings of inadequacy I've felt about my body for most of my life. This book is an eye-opener.
Growing up in a family riddled with various eating disorders, I'm no stranger to the harm body image issues do to mental and physical health. On one side, I grew up the fat cousin, and comments and attitudes toward me were between the lines. On the other side, I was the thinnest, and yet I was constantly subjected to blatant body-shaming. Sometimes it was directed at me despite being the closest to the 'ideal' weight, but more painfully, I had to witness it happening to people I loved. My body image issues have resulted in overall low self-esteem even if my weight hasn't been the main focus of this. I just accepted I was the 'ugly duckling' and the result was, and still is, letting myself be walked over. It didn't stop at family, either. Being the heaviest of most of my friends as a teenager was damaging as well.
I wish this book had been around for me then.
Along with a history of how we've arrived at the 'thin is good, fat is bad' mentality we've been groomed to believe, Alex Light debunks the myths we've come to accept as fact. 'Skinny people can't be unhealthy', 'Fat people can't be healthy', and in general the moral issue that has become different food groups. She provides sets of healthy, reasonable, and achievable guidelines to live your best life in the natural body you were given. Her own story and battle with self-image are intertwined through all of this providing so much inspiration.
In the time that I've been reading this book, I've found myself more aware of the toxicity in the media surrounding weight. There have been so many red flags all along that I've been blind to because the diet culture mentality has become such an accepted part of life. While I personally swore off diets quickly, the trade-off was/is thinking I'm not good for much and will never achieve anything because I lack the willpower to do what I need to do to be 'successful'. After reading this book, I'm already starting to question my own thought process. I eat when I'm hungry because I feel miserable if I don't... I can't believe it took seeing it in ink to realize that's not a bad thing.
No matter what your personal struggle is with weight and/or body image, I highly recommend reading this book. I learned so much and have felt inspired since the first chapter. My point of view on these matters will never be the same.
A huge thanks to HarperCollins/Harper360 for providing me with a free ARC to read and review.
Where do I start?! This is a book I didn't realize I needed to read until I began. Though I've been fairly fortunate not to get stuck in the diet cycle, that hasn't taken away the feelings of inadequacy I've felt about my body for most of my life. This book is an eye-opener.
Growing up in a family riddled with various eating disorders, I'm no stranger to the harm body image issues do to mental and physical health. On one side, I grew up the fat cousin, and comments and attitudes toward me were between the lines. On the other side, I was the thinnest, and yet I was constantly subjected to blatant body-shaming. Sometimes it was directed at me despite being the closest to the 'ideal' weight, but more painfully, I had to witness it happening to people I loved. My body image issues have resulted in overall low self-esteem even if my weight hasn't been the main focus of this. I just accepted I was the 'ugly duckling' and the result was, and still is, letting myself be walked over. It didn't stop at family, either. Being the heaviest of most of my friends as a teenager was damaging as well.
I wish this book had been around for me then.
Along with a history of how we've arrived at the 'thin is good, fat is bad' mentality we've been groomed to believe, Alex Light debunks the myths we've come to accept as fact. 'Skinny people can't be unhealthy', 'Fat people can't be healthy', and in general the moral issue that has become different food groups. She provides sets of healthy, reasonable, and achievable guidelines to live your best life in the natural body you were given. Her own story and battle with self-image are intertwined through all of this providing so much inspiration.
In the time that I've been reading this book, I've found myself more aware of the toxicity in the media surrounding weight. There have been so many red flags all along that I've been blind to because the diet culture mentality has become such an accepted part of life. While I personally swore off diets quickly, the trade-off was/is thinking I'm not good for much and will never achieve anything because I lack the willpower to do what I need to do to be 'successful'. After reading this book, I'm already starting to question my own thought process. I eat when I'm hungry because I feel miserable if I don't... I can't believe it took seeing it in ink to realize that's not a bad thing.
No matter what your personal struggle is with weight and/or body image, I highly recommend reading this book. I learned so much and have felt inspired since the first chapter. My point of view on these matters will never be the same.
A huge thanks to HarperCollins/Harper360 for providing me with a free ARC to read and review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Fatphobia
Moderate: Mental illness
witchhenrietta's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This is great for straight sized people who are starting out on their journey to improve their body image. It gives you a nuanced overview of the history of diet culture and fatphobia and raises awareness of their origins.
For fat people, it may not be the right book to start your journey. You can tell it‘s written from a straight sized person‘s lens (and there‘s nothing wrong with that, obviously!) and it may not be as helpful because of it.
For fat people, it may not be the right book to start your journey. You can tell it‘s written from a straight sized person‘s lens (and there‘s nothing wrong with that, obviously!) and it may not be as helpful because of it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
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