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This light-hearted and entertaining book, authored by top psychologist David Cohen, explores the influences and impacts on our perception of body image, examining the power of appearance and the psychology behind how we think and feel about ourselves physically.Packed with scientific findings alongside historical anecdotes and humorous insights, the book first looks at the history of body image and appearance, and how ideals of beauty have changed over time. It goes on to note the rise of the beauty and fashion industries, looking at how society, culture and the media can affect body image. The final section deals with issues of body dissatisfaction and the treatments and therapy available for those struggling with body image and mental health. Along the way, readers will meet a cast of characters from Elizabeth I, a daring, medieval Welsh poet, an Egyptian mummy with the first known tattoo, Paul F. Schilder who pioneered the study of body image, and the brave recipients of the first face transplants, among many more.In his trademark engaging style, Cohen offers a rich account of the psychology of body image through the ages and through the lifespan. It is valuable reading for students of psychology and professionals and therapists aiming to promote body positivity.

'I can't do that until I've lost a bit of weight'.'I need to slim down first'.'When I'm thinner I'll...'What if you didn't feel held back by your body? This guide helps you to free yourself from harmful social attitudes about weight and to start living now.Break the Binds of Weight Stigma draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a positive, action-based form of therapy that works by accepting your natural emotions and using your own personal values to build a path to the life you want to live. Stories, worksheets, reflection questions, and guided exercises show you how to embrace yourself and fight back against the social structures that tie value to size. This is not a book about changing your body or losing weight. It's a guide to help you connect with the things that are important to you regardless of your weight. It's a step towards countering the harmful messages in society about our bodies. It's a movement. It's radical. It's freedom.

This practical, accessible book teaches readers how to practice healthy body image habits and let go of an emphasis on body image through research, activities, and personal stories.Body neutrality is a body image approach focused on finding acceptance and liberation from the body-focused culture in which we live. Body neutrality is a shift toward seeing our bodies as a vessel of who we are rather than as who we are. This guide is organized into thirteen chapters, each outlining a different concept of body neutrality ranging from comparison and identity to mindfulness and gratitude, inviting participation from the reader through end-of-chapter activities. For anyone aiming to release the enslaving emphasis placed on appearance in a world where body obsession has become inappropriately “normal,” this book will provide insight and practical guidance toward freedom.Body Neutrality is for anyone struggling with self-esteem and body image issues who aims for acceptance and liberation.

Dietitian and nutrition therapist Leslie Schilling turns diet culture on its head with a radical new message: We aren't designed to diet.Diet culture is a system of oppression that values only certain types of bodies and equates thinness with health. It permeates American society and even lurks in our safest spaces, such as schools, medical offices, and places of worship. But when you begin to see its lies for what they are, you can fight back, build resilience and self-esteem, and trust your divine design.Leslie Schilling has counseled hundreds of people every year who struggle with food, body image, chronic dieting, and disordered eating. She helps them understand diet-culture myths, fight the lies we've been told (and sold), and discover the truth about health, well-being, and how God sees our bodies—all bodies—as good.In Feed Yourself, you'll learn how to:Identify the lies of diet culture.Understand that health is far more than what we eat or how we move.Escape the shame and guilt you may feel about your body.Trust your body and recognize its cues and needs.Find freedom in food and learn to define health on your own terms.Discussion questions, charts to help you discern diet culture, and recommended readings are included in the audiobook companion PDF download.

“An incredible resource for those who are looking to find greater peace with their bodies in order to live a more empowered, joyful, and meaningful life.” —Matt McGorryA life-changing guide to reclaiming your relationship with your body—and yourselfHave you ever thought that if only you could change the way you looked, your life would be better? It's so easy to imagine that by changing the outside of our bodies, we'd feel better on the inside. But we all know that even if we could magically attain a so-called “perfect” body, our problems wouldn't actually be solved. That's because body image issues are never just about the body: they're always about something deeper inside.As a longtime personal trainer and coach, Jessi Kneeland has seen hundreds of clients achieve their fitness goals but still feel trapped in a web of body hatred, anxiety, obsession, and dysmorphia. Searching for a solution, Kneeland set out on a quest to discover what it truly takes to help people understand, process, and heal their body image issues for good. They share their discoveries in Body Neutral, where you'll learn: The power of “body neutrality”—the ability to accept and respect your body, even if it isn't the way you'd prefer it to be.Which of the four “body image avatars”—each of which represents a different root cause for body image issues—aligns with you and your relationship with your body: the self-objectifier, the high achiever, the outsider, or the runner.Actionable and unique methods to help you strip away the layers of false meaning, excess power, moral significance, and shame that have been preventing you from both connecting to and appreciating your body, and feeling truly worthy as a person. There is a reason you're unhappy with your body, and Body Neutral will help you discover what that reason is and how to defuse its power, freeing you to enjoy a life of true confidence, security, and satisfaction.

A holistic and powerful framework for accepting and liberating our bodies, and ourselves.Have you ever felt uncomfortable or not “at home” in your body? In this book, the founders of Body Trust, licensed therapist Hilary Kinavey and registered dietician Dana Sturtevant, invite readers to break free from the status quo and reject a diet culture that has taken advantage and profited from trauma, stigma, and disembodiment, and fully reclaim and embrace their bodies. Informed by the personal body stories of the hundreds of people they have worked with, Reclaiming Body Trust delineates an intersectional, social justice−orientated path to healing in three phases: The Rupture, The Reckoning, and The Reclamation. Throughout, readers will be anchored by the authors'innovative and revolutionary Body Trust framework to discover a pathway out of a rigid, mechanistic way of thinking about the body and into a more authentic, sustainable way to occupy and nurture our bodies.

'A must read'JAMIE WINDUST'A beautifully honest book'JUNO ROCHE'A superb and necessary book'BEN PECHEYAs a young, queer, plus-size person, Essie Dennis has spent a lot of time feeling like they weren't enough - not queer enough, not feminine enough, not perfect enough. When they took to social media to share how they felt, they were overwhelmed by how many others felt the same.I look too masculine to be non-binaryI look too feminine to be a lesbian Am I too fat for drag?Inviting you to challenge accepted beauty standards and the concept of'the perfect body', Essie takes everything they have learned on their journey to self-acceptance and body satisfaction to help guide you towards loving your queer body. From gender, sexuality and reclaiming your body, through to food, politics, social media and fatphobia, this radical book starts a conversation about body image and mental health that queer people are so often left out of.Fiercely and unapologetically written, and with honest advice and powerful stories from a diverse range of queer people throughout, this is an inspiring and necessary book that will show you that you are enough.

Learn to sew beautiful, simple handmade clothes and begin a journey to loving the body you have.Draft patterns and sew clothes that fit your unique body! In this garment-making primer, sewing is an act of radical kindness and self-care. Learning to sew for yourself enables you to make exactly the kinds of clothes you want, and empowers you to solve the fit issues that come with buying commercial clothing designed to fit one'ideal'body type. Sanae Ishida, author of the award-winning Sewing Happiness, guides you through the process with her inspiring personal story and gentle instruction in the simple art of pattern-making and garment sewing. Create a complete capsule wardrobe of tops, bottoms, dresses, tunics, and outerwear. Each of the 15 projects (including variations) is designed to look good on a wide variety of body types—they're fashionable yet timeless, and let you move with ease. Every pattern is self-drafted (no printed pattern sheets here—you will learn to draft and customize basic shapes to your own body measurements for a comfortable fit). Patternmaking has never been easier than in this intuitive, fully illustrated book.Includes:Lookbook with photographs of the projects on diverse modelsPrimer on basic sewing, pattern drafting (slopers and muslins), and fittingStep-by-step illustrated instructions for all 15 projects and variationsHeartwarming personal essay on the author's journey to body positivity

Food is complicated. And our relationships with food and eating are all kinds of fucked up. It doesn't help that cultural messages about health, diet, body image, and weight are fatphobic and often medically dangerous. Dr. Faith Harper, author of the bestselling Unfuck Your Brain and Unfuck Your Body, brings her trademark combination of science, humor, and real talk to help us work through our food, health, and body image issues and develop a healthier relationship with food so that it can fuel us and bring us pleasure. She delves into the difference between eating disorders and disordered eating and the causes and consequences of both, breaks down the difference between various behaviors, tackles trauma and other co-occurring conditions, and provides compassionate and practical steps to improve your eating habits and repair your relationship with yourself.

Anne Poirier's The Body Joyful is a game changer. It is an anti-diet book, a rejector of societies “thin ideal,” and a new perspective in a Covid world. It provides insights and strategies and is a roadmap to help you shift the way you think, act, and live. Inspiring and empowering, this relatable story offers the reader permission to find self-worth, hope, healing, and transformation, regardless of weight, size or shape. In the words of author and speaker Brian Tracy “This inspiring, motivational book will help you unlock your self-confidence and feel wonderful about yourself. You'll learn that you have no limits” If you are ready to stop depriving yourself with diets and beating yourself up with self-criticism, this book is for you! Read it and join the Body Joyful Revolution Tribe now.

What does it mean to be beautiful? How can a girl embrace and develop her individuality and unique qualities when the world is constantly comparing her to the plastic perfection of Barbie? Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body is the number one resource for young adult women who desire to redefine and understand true beauty. Focusing on correct body image, self-improvement, thinspiration, mental health, bullying, sexual harassment, and more, Body Positive is packed with introspective questions, guided activities, and inspiring, un-retouched photographs that display the bodies of real, everyday women. Body Positive is a helpful, informative and inspirational guide that will help any girl transcend society's standards.

‘I love Stephanie… She's one of my favourite truth tellers online, she pulls no punches and empowers so many women with her own commitment to equality... This book is going to mean a lot, to a lot of people.'– Jameela JamilStephanie Yeboah has experienced racism and fat-phobia throughout her life. From being bullied at school to being objectified and humiliated in her dating life, Stephanie's response to discrimination has always been to change the narrative around body-image and what we see as beautiful.In her debut book, Fattily Ever After, Stephanie speaks openly and courageously about her own experience on navigating life as a black, plus-sized woman – telling it how it really is – and how she has managed to find self-acceptance in a world where judgement and discrimination are rife.Featuring stories of every day misogynoir and being fetishized, to navigating the cesspit of online dating and experiencing loneliness, Stephanie shares her thoughts on the treatment of black women throughout history, the marginalisation of black, plus-sized women in the media (even within the body-positivity movement) whilst drawing on wisdom from other black fat liberation champions along the way. Peppered with insightful tips and honest advice and boldly illustrated throughout, this inspiring and powerful book is essential reading for a generation of black, plus-sized women, helping them to live their life openly, unapologetically and with confidence.

'Belonging has been a formative struggle for me. Like most people with marginalized identities, my experience has taught me that it's hard to be yourself and feel like you belong in a culture that is hostile to your existence. That's why my body of work as a scientist, author, professor, speaker, and advocate for body liberation always comes back to the impact of belonging or not belonging. Radical Belonging is my manifesto, helping us heal from the individual and collective trauma of injustice and support our transition from a culture of othering to one of belonging.'—Lindo Bacon Too many of us feel alienated from our bodies. This isn't your personal failing; it means that our culture is failing you. We are in the midst of a cultural moment. #MeToo. #BlackLivesMatter. #TransIsBeautiful. #AbleismExists. #EffYourBeautyStandards. Those of us who don't fit into the'mythical norm'(white, male, cisgender, able-bodied, slender, Christian, etc.)—which is to say, most of us—are demanding our basic right: To know that who we are matters. To belong. Being'othered'and the body shame it spurs is not'just'a feeling. Being erased and devalued impacts our ability to regulate our emotions, our relationships with others, our health and longevity, our finances, our ability to realize dreams, and whether we will be accepted, loved, or even safe. Radical Belonging is not a simple self-love treatise. Focusing only on self-love ignores the important fact that we have negative experiences because our culture has targeted certain bodies and people for abuse or alienation. For marginalized people, a focus on self-love can be a spoonful of sugar that makes the oppression go down. This groundbreaking book goes further, helping us to manage the challenges that stem from oppression and moving beyond self-love and into belonging. With Lindo Bacon's signature blend of science and storytelling, Radical Belonging addresses the political, sociological, psychological and biological underpinnings of your experiences, helping you understand that the alienation and pain you are experiencing is not personal, but human. The problem is in injustice, not you as an individual. So many of us feel wounded by a culture that has alienated us from our bodies and divided us from each other. Radical Belonging provides strategies to reckon with the trauma of injustice; reclaim yourself, body and soul; and rewire your nervous system to better cope within an unjust world. It also provides strategies to help us all provide refuge for one another and create a culture of equity and empathy, one that respects, includes, and benefits from all its diverse peoples. Whether you are transgender, queer, Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color, disabled, old, or fat—or your more closely resemble the'mythical norm'—Radical Belonging is your guidebook for creating a world where all bodies are valued and all of us belong—and for coping with this one, until we make that new world a reality.

For women who've learned to be their own worst enemies, this in-your-face guide offers powerful tools to break free from the cultural messages that feed negative body image and stand in the way of becoming your most authentic and radiant self.Have you ever wondered what you could accomplish with the time you spend worrying about your body or appearance? In a society overwhelmed with messages of how women should be and appear, it's easy to internalize these ideas and become our own harshest critics. It's time for a change. It's time to stop squashing ourselves into painfully tight “should-be” boxes and celebrate our bodies for what they are—divine tools to reach our highest aspirations and experience the full fabulousness of life.In this book, you'll find a practical program for healing body image dissatisfaction using a unique blend of wisdom—from yoga to Buddhism and Taoism to shamanism and more. Weaving the author's own experiences with tools for putting lessons into action, this empowering book will help you examine your own thoughts and feelings about your body and learn how they affect the way you relate in and to the world.With this unflinchingly direct and honest book, you'll learn to release years of negative conditioning to see yourself as the fiercely authentic woman you really are. So, stop wasting time and energy hating your body and start moving toward a life that celebrates your body's unique strengths and capabilities for experiencing health, happiness, and true radiance.

“This outstanding anthology of essays, illustrations, poems, and letters... is a celebration of every body and presents a revolutionary message” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). The time has come for fat people to tell their own stories. The (Other) F Word combines the voices of Renée Watson, Julie Murphy, Jes Baker, Samantha Irby, Bruce Sturgell, and many others in a relatable, revelatory and inspiring exploration of body image and fat acceptance. This dazzling collection of art, poetry, essays, and fashion tips is meant for people of all sizes who desire to be seen and heard in a culture consumed by a narrow definition of beauty. By combining the talents of renowned fat YA and middle-grade authors, as well as fat influencers and creators, The (Other) F Word offers teen readers and activists of all ages a tool for navigating our world with confidence and courage.

In today's world of supplements, celebrity diets and social media, it's very easy to be hard on ourselves about the way we look. With all this pressure to strive for'perfection'aesthetically, it is easy to forget how damaging this can be psychologically. Michelle Elman is a leading part of the body positivity movement that has been gathering momentum to liberate people from these unrealistic standards, recognise that all bodies are equally valuable and broaden the billboard definitions of beauty. Am I Ugly? is this inspiring woman's compelling and deeply personal memoir that describes her childhood experiences of life-threatening health problems, long stays in hospital and fifteen complex surgeries that left her scarred, both mentally and physically. The narrative follows Michelle's journey from illness to health, and from childhood to adulthood as she deals with her body-confidence issues to embrace both her scars and her body – and help others to do the same. This remarkable book grapples with the wider implications of Michelle's experiences and the complex interplay between beauty and illness.'Michelle Elman is Bo-Po personified. She shows that we should never hide the things that make us who we are'Curvy Kate.'A 21-year-old life coach in London has become an Instagram star and viral inspiration after sharing her bikini photos and an inspiring video'Fox News.'Michelle's post has certainly made an impact on so many people who needed a pick-me-up, and we just hope that anyone else feeling insecure due to clothes sizes somehow find themselves scrolling onto her post, too'Metro.

This three-part workbook offers a concise and forgiving research- based guide to clients'diffi cultieswith sustained weight loss. Part 1 is a review of your client's previous efforts at weight control andimage change, as well as information and a review of research to help your client understand whyweight loss might not have worked in the past. Part 2 contains information and exercises to help yourclient develop a new acceptance of their body and their relationship with food, as well as tools todevelop mindfulness and self- compassion. Part 3 will help your client identify, experiment with, andcommit to values related to food, appearance, and other important areas of life, tackling troublesomemental and practical barriers along the way.

Now selected for the Reading Well for mental health booklist.This book is brought to you by Trigger, as part of our innovative and philanthropic Pullingthetrigger range. Find out more at www.triggerpublishing.com.Written by a woman who has suffered from debilitating body image issues and two leading clinical psychologists, this book provides simple yet highly effective self-help methods to help you overcome body image concerns and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). In Part I we follow Chloe Catchpole's desperate struggle with her body dissatisfaction, BDD, and depression. We learn how body dysmorphia tore her life apart, turning a happy, sociable young girl into someone who hid herself away from the world. She was so afraid of being seen in public that she dropped out of school and became a prisoner in her own bedroom. It wasn't until Chloe met clinical psychologists Lauren Callaghan and Annemarie O'Connor that she started to believe recovery was possible. With their help, she learned about the illness that was dominating her life and learned effective strategies to challenge and overcome her BDD. In Part II, Lauren and Annemarie guide us through the treatment and recovery approach that they used with Chloe. It is a user-friendly, evidence-based approach which supports people suffering from body image issues and BDD as they go through the treatment process, liberating them from their body image concerns.

Do you use food to comfort yourself during stressful times? The Intuitive Eating Workbook offers a comprehensive, evidence-based program to help you develop a healthy relationship with food, pay attention to cues of hunger and satisfaction, and cultivate a profound connection with your mind and body.Have you tried fad diet after fad diet, only to gain weight back? Maybe you've tried the protein diet only to move on to vegetables only? Raw almonds and coconut water every forty-five minutes instead of big meals? Or perhaps you've tried counting calories, but the numbers on the scale still don't add up. If you are ready to throw in your hat and give up on dieting for good, take heart. You can enjoy food again—you just need to pay attention to your body's natural hunger cues. Based on the authors'best-selling book, Intuitive Eating, this workbook can show you how.The Intuitive Eating Workbook offers a new way of looking at food and mealtime by showing you how to recognize your body's natural hunger signals. Structured around the ten principles of intuitive eating, the mindful approach in this workbook encourages you to abandon unhealthy weight control behaviors, develop positive body image, and—most importantly—stop feeling distressed around food!You were born with all the wisdom you need for eating intuitively. This book will help you reconnect with that wisdom and ultimately change your life—one meal at a time.

Has the connection between body size and overall health been overstated for decades? This book examines how our dogged efforts to eradicate obesity may be doing more harm than good and explores alternative ways to measure and encourage health.It's fair to say that Americans are obsessed with body size and weight—whether it's in the name of health and disease prevention or the idealization of unrealistically thin proportions. But trying to lose weight and drop clothing sizes is healthy, right? Or is it not healthy, in many cases?In this book, the latest in Greenwood's Health and Medical Issues Today series, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Certified Sport Psychology Consultant Christine L. B. Selby, PhD, examines the often confusing information—and misinformation—that exists on obesity and its connection to overall health. She provides a broad examination of this timely topic, addressing the rate of obesity in the United States, questioning the appropriateness of BMI to gauge overall health and well-being, discussing controversies related to weight and health including excessive dieting, and providing real-world scenarios that clearly illustrate major concepts related to weight and health. The book also summarizes a relatively new and still controversial approach to improving well-being that takes the focus off the number on the scale. But can individuals really be happy and healthy at any size

Embody: A Guide to Celebrating Your Unique Body (and quieting that critical voice!) brings to life the work of The Body Positive, a non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Connie Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott, LCSW.This book's message is rooted in the philosophy that people inherently possess the wisdom necessary to make healthy choices and to live in balance. It emphasizes that self-love, acceptance of genetic diversity in body size, celebration of the unique beauty of every individual, and intuitive self-care are fundamental to achieving good physical and emotional health. It encourages readers to shift their focus away from ineffective, harmful weight-loss efforts towards improving and sustaining positive self-care behaviors. Initial research indicates that this work significantly improves people's ability to regulate eating, decreases depression and anxiety, and increases self-esteem—all critical resources that promote resiliency against eating and body image problems.Embody guides readers step-by-step through the five core competencies of the Body Positive's model: Reclaim Health, Practice Intuitive Self-Care, Cultivate Self-Love, Declare Your Own Authentic Beauty, and Build Community. These competencies are fundamental skills anyone can practice on a daily basis to honor their innate wisdom and take good care of their whole selves because they are motivated by self-love and appreciation. Rather than dictating a prescriptive set of rules to follow, readers are guided through patient, mindful inquiry to find what works uniquely in their own lives to bring about—and sustain—positive self-care changes and a peaceful relationship with their bodies.Through workshops, lectures, and leadership trainings, Sobczak and Scott have helped thousands of people of all sizes, ages, sexual orientations, genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels to lead healthier and more meaningful lives by learning how to cherish their unique bodies—no small task given today's barrage of thin images and emphasis on dieting.Embody offers practical tools as well as personal stories to bring Sobczak and Scott's work into one's own life. It is a resource that can be read cover to cover as well as revisited time again while moving through the inevitable changes that come with personal growth. A lifeboat in the sea of messages that demean the bodies of both men and women, Embody is a safe haven for all.

Mom in the Mirror: Body Image, Beauty, and Life after Pregnancy is for every woman who has ever doubted herself or her self-worth after the birth of a child. Because most women spend much of their lives attempting to change their bodies, it's not surprising that the weight gain that comes along with pregnancy (and post-pregnancy), coupled with the challenges of parenting, only exacerbate issues with weight, body image, disordered eating, and self-esteem.Drawing on the wisdom of eating disorders expert Dr. Dena Cabrera, as well as the personal experiences of former anorexic Emily Wierenga, Mom in the Mirror is a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual response to a female generation seeking its true identity in an appearance-based world. With chapters that deal with bruises from the past, misconceptions about pregnancy, life before and after children, marriage and motherhood, spiritual and physical nourishment, relationships with friends and family, and the changing role of a mother as her children age, it is a holistic approach to the age-old questions: Who am I, and why am I here? Comprising personal stories, expert advice, reflection questions, and helpful tools, this book is an inspiring read intended for women everywhere who want to restore a positive body image and to overcome the insecurities that arise when pregnancy is over and child-rearing begins.

Let's be honest: most people are unhappy with at least some aspect of their physical appearance. Just think of all the money we spend each year trying to improve our looks! But if worrying about your appearance is getting in the way of living, maybe it's time to start thinking about body image in a completely new way. Based in proven-effective acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Living with Your Body and Other Things You Hate offers a unique approach to addressing your struggle with body image. In this book, you will not be told that your self-perceptions are wrong, that your thoughts are irrational, or that your feelings are misguided. Instead, you will learn to live with the reality that these often painful thoughts and beliefs about yourself will arise from time to time, and that what is really important is accepting these distressing thoughts without allowing them to dominate your life. You know what it's like to constantly be checking the mirror, to avoid certain social situations where your body may be exposed, or to gaze longingly at a fashion model in a magazine and think, “Why can't I be her?” But what you may not know is that people who struggle with negative body image are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. Body image problems can even lead to major financial issues. By focusing on your appearance and little else, you are hurting yourself in more ways than one. If you are ready to find a purpose in life that is more important than the pain you feel about your appearance, this book provides a truthful, powerful resource.

In the past decade, obesity has emerged as a major public health concern in the United States and abroad. At the federal, state, and local level, policy makers have begun drafting a range of policies to fight a war against fat, including body-mass index (BMI) report cards, “snack taxes,” and laws to control how fast food companies market to children. As an epidemic, obesity threatens to weaken the health, economy, and might of the most powerful nation in the world. In Killer Fat, Natalie Boero examines how and why obesity emerged as a major public health concern and national obsession in recent years. Using primary sources and in-depth interviews, Boero enters the world of bariatric surgeries, Weight Watchers, and Overeaters Anonymous to show how common expectations of what bodies are supposed to look like help to determine what sorts of interventions and policies are considered urgent in containing this new kind of disease. Boero argues that obesity, like the traditional epidemics of biological contagion and mass death, now incites panic, a doomsday scenario that must be confronted in a struggle for social stability. The “war” on obesity, she concludes, is a form of social control. Killer Fat ultimately offers an alternate framing of the nation's obesity problem based on the insights of the “Health at Every Size” movement.

A mother recounts her daughter's battle with anorexia in this “affecting and informative memoir” (Booklist). In this chronicle of a family's struggle with anorexia nervosa, journalist and professor Harriet Brown recounts in mesmerizing and horrifying detail her daughter Kitty's journey from near-starvation to renewed health. Brave Girl Eating is an intimate, shocking, compelling, and ultimately uplifting look at the ravages of a mental illness that affects more than 18 million Americans.“One of the most up to date, relevant, and honest accounts of one family's battle with the life-threatening challenges of anorexia. Brown has masterfully woven science, history, and heart throughout this compelling and tender story.” —Lynn S. Grefe, Chief Executive Officer, National Eating Disorders Association“As a woman who once knew the grip of a life-controlling eating disorder, I held my breath reading Harriet Brown's story. As a mother of daughters, I wept for her. Then cheered.” —Joyce Maynard, New York Times-bestselling author of Count the Ways

In our appearance-obsessed society, eating is about much more than hunger and sustenance. Food inspires pleasure and anxiety, shame and obsession. We are constantly judged on how we look, so we've come to judge ourselves (and others) on what and how we eat.Joyce Maynard writes about learning to make pie with her complex but adored mother. Caroline Leavitt's chilling piece describes the overlap between power and eating. Ophira Edut explains how an outspoken “body outlaw” wound up on Jenny Craig. Diana Abu-Jaber writes about abandoning her Bedouin customs for America's silverware and table manners–and missing the physical, hands-on connection with food. Exploring the bonds between appetite and remorse, hunger and longing, satisfaction and desire, this anthology is for every woman who's ever felt guilty about eating dessert, or gushed over a friend's weight loss, or wished she had a different body. Feed Me! features the following essays:“He Called Me Fat; It Set Me Free” by Sari Botton “The Grief Diety” by Caroline Leavitt “With Hands” by Diana Abu-Jaber “Seconds” by Jenny Allen “My Worst Excess” by Amity Gaige “Sisi, You're Getting Fat” by Courtney E. Martin “My Ten Plagues” by Harriet Brown “Top Model” by Magali Amadei “Reader, I Ate Him” by Brenda Copeland “The Twin Paradox” by Susan O'Doherty “Attack of the XL Girl” by Laurie Notaro “Sugar Plum Fairy” by Dana Kinstler “Sky Girl” by Ann Hood “Plus What?” by Lisa Romeo “Ess, Ess” by Rochelle Jewel Shapiro “In the House of Jean Nidetch” by Whitney Otto “You're Not Fat” by Kate Harding “My Binge Year” by Jane E. Brody “Day One” by Wendy McClure “Quacks” by Kathi Kamen Goldmark “Battle of the Bulge: Notes from a Decade of Body Activism” by Ophira Edut “Take this Cake and Shove it” by Joan Fischer “Pie” by Joyce Maynard

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to accept and enjoy the way you look instead of constantly worrying about and criticizing your appearance? What if instead of focusing on your flaws, you felt confident with the body you have right now? If you don't like what you see when you look in the mirror, you may not realize that these feelings are entirely within your grasp. You don't need extensive cosmetic surgery, pricey beauty treatments, or weight loss programs, but you may need to do something even more drastic-change your perspective and the way you view yourself. The Body Image Workbook offers a comprehensive program to help you stop focusing on your perceived imperfections and start feeling more confident about the way you look. As you complete the helpsheets in this book, you'll learn to celebrate your body instead of feeling ashamed of it. This new edition includes discussions of our obsession with physical appearance and with body-fixing options. It helps you discover your personal body image strengths and vulnerabilities and then guides you in creating new, life-changing experiences of mindfulness and body acceptance. After completing this eight-step program, you'll look at yourself in a whole new light-seeing the beauty of the real you.

In a society where a blemish or “bad hair” can ruin an otherwise perfect day and airbrushed abs dominate the magazine rack, many of us feel ashamed of our bodies. If dissatisfaction with your looks is a distressing preoccupation, this compassionate book offers a way to break free from the mirror. Harvard psychologist Sabine Wilhelm leads you through a step-by-step program that helps you fight the urge to spend hours “fixing” your skin and hair, working out, or shopping for flattering clothes. Reality-check exercises based on cognitive-behavioral therapy demonstrate how to identify unfounded beliefs about your appearance. Once you understand the negative thoughts and feelings that distort your self-image, you'll be able to shed lengthy grooming rituals and overcome the embarrassment that keeps you from enjoying life. With Dr. Wilhelm's expert guidance, you'll learn to replace self-doubt and insecurity with confidence and a positive outlook. Whether you've spent thousands on plastic surgery or avoid trips to the beach, dating, or socializing, you owe yourself this opportunity to make peace with your looks. If you or someone you care about is struggling with a body image problem, effective care is finally at hand. Health care professionals, see also the related treatment manual: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

This sensitive workbook teaches readers how to be at peace with their bodies.

From the bestselling author of Women Food and God! Geneen Roth's pioneering books were among the first to link emotional eating and perpetual dieting with deeply personal issues that go far beyond weight and body image. In When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair, Roth tackles the secret ways in which we undermine our best intentions. She shows us fifty simple, effective ways to feel gorgeous and powerful no matter what--in chapters such as: Learn to Recognize a Fat-and-Ugly Attack Retail Therapy Is as Important as the Other Kind Carry a Chunk of Chocolate Everywhere Remember that Thin People Have Cellulite, Get Old, and Die and much moreWhen You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair is the book for anyone who has ever had a second thought about their body appearance or weight.