Scan barcode
A review by sharonus
Obsessed: America's Food Addiction - And My Own by Diane Smith, Mika Brzezinski
medium-paced
2.0
I am always interested in stories about how people have overcome disordered eating to enjoy a fit and healthy lifestyle. While this book presents itself as that, it really is not. It starts with Mika confronting her obese friend, Diane, about her weight. Her friend retorts that Mika also has issues with disordered eating and exercise. They both agree to address their issues with the help of experts. Diane pledges (at Mika's behest) to lose 75 lbs. and Mika agrees to work on healthy eating and exercise and gain 10 lbs.
Unfortunately, the book does not focus on Mika and Diane. Instead, we are treated to numerous statistics about the weight problem in America and the utopic ways we can address them. They range from demanding that cities be designed with workplaces and parks within a bike ride from home, to insisting that teachers talk with parents about their child's weight. (Let's imagine that conversation, shall we?) Toward the end of the book is a table with "don't say that, say this" type advice for parents. They include gems like:
If you say this: "You look fat in that."
Your child hears this: "I am an ugly, fat loser. Even my mom says so."
Try this instead: "How are you feeling about your body these days? It's easy to feel self-conscious and pressured to look a certain way, but everyone has a different body type and different strengths. It's important to figure out how to enjoy your body no matter what it looks like--you are beautiful and I love you 'as is.'"
Are you kidding? "How are you feeling about your body these days"? "Everyone has a different body type"? "It's important to figure out how to enjoy your body no matter what it looks like"? "I love you 'as is'"? Mika, I hate to break it to you, but you just found four more ways to tell your kid they "look fat in that."
Really, this book contains no valuable information and doesn't even appear to have been co-authored by Diane Smith as we rarely hear anything from her point of view. Clearly Mika still has not addressed her own issues as she keeps repeating that Americans need to figure out how to get to a "healthy thin." (Not "healthy weight" always "healthy thin.") While we do hear that Diane lost 65 lbs (partially by adhering to a pre-op bariatric diet for 12 weeks) I don't think we ever heard if Mika gained her 10 lbs. A personal story with clear lessons learned would have been a much better read.
Unfortunately, the book does not focus on Mika and Diane. Instead, we are treated to numerous statistics about the weight problem in America and the utopic ways we can address them. They range from demanding that cities be designed with workplaces and parks within a bike ride from home, to insisting that teachers talk with parents about their child's weight. (Let's imagine that conversation, shall we?) Toward the end of the book is a table with "don't say that, say this" type advice for parents. They include gems like:
If you say this: "You look fat in that."
Your child hears this: "I am an ugly, fat loser. Even my mom says so."
Try this instead: "How are you feeling about your body these days? It's easy to feel self-conscious and pressured to look a certain way, but everyone has a different body type and different strengths. It's important to figure out how to enjoy your body no matter what it looks like--you are beautiful and I love you 'as is.'"
Are you kidding? "How are you feeling about your body these days"? "Everyone has a different body type"? "It's important to figure out how to enjoy your body no matter what it looks like"? "I love you 'as is'"? Mika, I hate to break it to you, but you just found four more ways to tell your kid they "look fat in that."
Really, this book contains no valuable information and doesn't even appear to have been co-authored by Diane Smith as we rarely hear anything from her point of view. Clearly Mika still has not addressed her own issues as she keeps repeating that Americans need to figure out how to get to a "healthy thin." (Not "healthy weight" always "healthy thin.") While we do hear that Diane lost 65 lbs (partially by adhering to a pre-op bariatric diet for 12 weeks) I don't think we ever heard if Mika gained her 10 lbs. A personal story with clear lessons learned would have been a much better read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Fatphobia
Minor: Body shaming and Vomit