If you notice a pattern in the books we've chosen for this issue are pushing your buttons, good!
These selections are food for thought -- Breaking new ground in how parents and children can (and can't) handle the "Obesity Epidemic" with care and love -- That surgery, is still surgery -- That dieting does not change who you are inside -- That being able to laugh at those around us is the best form of revenge -- And activists and editors need to continue to examine what "fat" means.
On a lighter note, "What Not to Wear," on TLC has created a irreverent fashion guide (with guidance on curvy fashion and how to shop the market with our very own contributing editor, Kimberly Suggs).
P.S. We'd love to hear if you find any more books in 2006 that push your buttons for we believe that this is a sign of a the future for a better body image for all women regardless of size.
- Michele and Valery
 |
Teenage Waistland: A Former Fat Kid Weighs In on Living Large, Losing Weight, and How Parents Can (and Can't) Help
by Abby Ellin
"Abby Ellin, a journalist and former fat-camp attendee, has an abiding compassion for overweight kids. In Teenage Waistland she shares the story of her family's attempts to "save her" from obesity and explores how they might have done it better.
To purchase a copy, please click here
|
 |
Hungry for More: A Keeping-It-Real Guide for Black Women on Weight and Body Image by Robyn McGee
McGee writes honestly and talks about her sister, who died from complications following gastric bypass surgery. Her plan was to shrink from size 26 to a third that size. She writes of her sister, Cathy, who swore she had finally found a way to lose one hundred pounds -- and to keep it off forever. "Growing up in a home with both Latino and African American influences meant we relished delicious, fattening foods from two distinct cultures. A few weeks after our last meal together with our family, my beloved sister was dead. The struggle with her weight was finally over, visions of a new life laid to rest."
To purchase a copy, please click here
|
 |
Scoot Over, Skinny : The Fat Nonfiction Anthology
by Donna Jarrell, Ira Sukrungruang
In this surprising collection of essays, nearly half of which are original to this anthology, some of our most lively, provocative writers explore the many folds of fat that make up reality. From David Sedaris's hilarious assessment of his father's fat prejudices in "A Shiner Like a Diamond" to Anne Lamott's self-prescribed cathartic weight-loss remedies in "Hunger," Pam Houston's literary panorama in "Out of Habit, I Start Apologizing," and psychiatrist Irvin Yalom's deeply moving confrontation of his own biases in "Fat Lady," in its unique way each piece deals with fat as a matter of fact.
To purchase a copy, please click here
|
 |
Fat: The Anthropology of an Obsession
by Don Kulick, Anne Meneley
Enlisting thirteen anthropologists and one fat activist, editors and anthropologists Don Kulick and Anne Meneley have produced an unconventional and unprecedented examination of fat as a concept, a substance, and a lifestyle. Edgy and non-judgmental, Fat steers the conversation away from the heavily trodden ground of health, cosmetic concerns, and cheap jokes, and moves it in a completely different direction, dissecting familiar institutions like Starbucks, Spam, pornography, medicine, religion, high school, and more - as well as providing glimpses into less familiar cultures where fat is venerated, and even considered something to cherish and protect.
To purchase a copy, please click here
|
|
