Reviews (45)

to an extent, it's ok
although this book might help you to eat intuitively, it does little to overcome overeating. it does little to deal with the true cause of overeating- the pleasure you get from it. trust me when i say that if you eat compulsively, this book won't help much. all this book does is tell you to never diet, which is a good start ( that's why i gave it 3 stars and not 1) but it won't solve nearly all of your problems with food. You still have to resolve WHY you eat & overeat.
Good but skims over the #1 reason for eating "problems"
I read this book over and over. I know it works but I could not get my behavior in sync with natural eating. Until I sought professional help. Mild-heavy depression, bi-polar, and other conditions that cause a serious drop in seratonin to the brain among other complications may in fact be the cause of your overeating more than you estimated. I feel like if I would have just sought help from a professional earlier I could have avoided a lot of pain mentally emotionally-all over. As I adjusted to meds I felt the cloud that proceeds binge eating disappear. As good as this book is, it kept me from seeking help. The authors mention in one sentence that some of their clients have gone on to seek psychiatric help. I think this needs more attention than one sentence. When your body's chemistry is off it is hard to explain to others how and why you cannot change. Good luck sisters.

Non-dieters are finding success with this book!
I run a free Yahoo! message board for non-dieters. They come to the board having read a variety of books. Increasingly, new members are reporting success after reading Intuitive Eating, which they fondly abbreviate, "IE." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appetite    2. Body image    3. Consumer Health    4. Diets - Weight Loss    5. Eating Disorders - General    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Nutrition    9. Nutrition And Diet    10. Psychological aspects    11. Weight loss    12. Self-Help / Eating Disorders   

Reviews (21)

The Bible for Weight Loss Surgery Patients
This book is amazing.If you have had recent weight loss surgery or if you are thinking about having it, you must read this book.Paula outlines everything you could ever imagine and answers the questions that we all have about weight loss surgery. After reading this book there is no doubt in my mind that I am going to have the weight loss surgery.In the book Paula gave me the courage to want a better and new life for myself.

This book was a life saver for me
Being aware that my surgery would be life altering, I was nervous about how to proceed with the rest of my life post-operation. Paula Peck's book was written with such care, concern and intelligence that upon turning the final page I realized my anxiety had completely left me and that I literally held a blue-print for success in my hands. Thank goodness for Paula's sensitivity, charm and wit. This is a honest guide to living and coping after weight-loss surgery - and who knew? A funny one too! Kudos for this book.

A pre-operation necessity.
I could not put Exodus from Obesity down.I highlighted it and even felt compelled to email Paula Peck, the author.
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Subjects:  1. Eating Disorders    2. Gastric bypass    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health & Fitness / Weight Loss    5. Obesity    6. Popular works    7. Self-Help    8. Self-Help / Eating Disorders    9. Surgery    10. Weight Loss   

Reviews (28)

The best book for recovering bulimics I have ever read
This is the best book that I have read thus far in my recovery. Jenni touches on all of the emotions, insanity, and obsession of the disease with humor and strength. She provides hope for all of us trying to recover. It is a great book .

Creative and motivating approach to eating disorders
****
Not triggering, a daily inspiration
Life Without Ed is one of the only books I have read on eating disorders that is NOT triggering (Jenni does not give any tips or tricks).I find hope and inspiration every time I read it. I actually carry it with me daily just in case I need to refer back to it.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Case studies    4. Eating Disorders    5. Eating Disorders - General    6. Health    7. Patients    8. Psychology    9. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    10. Schaefer, Jenni    11. Specific Groups - General    12. Treatment    13. Coping with eating disorders    14. Psychology & Psychiatry / Eating Disorders   

Reviews (4)

This book has saved my life!
I have had problems with emotional eating/binge eating on and off for over 15 years. Geneen Roth shares her struggle with emotional eating and as you are reading you feel as if you are not alone. That many other people share your struggle and there is help. This book is based on her work shops with exercises but mainly deep reading that really gets you to re-set how you think about yourself. I have and I do recommend this book.

one of the best
If you are interested in mindful eating, this is a great book. It was suggested to me from a woman I know who 'recovered' from an ED over 8 years ago, and this (and, actually, all of Geneen's books - check out 'why weight') was the number one thing she suggested I read.

My message board members love this book
I own a very active Yahoo! message board for non-dieters. Many of my members have read and loved this book and they tell others about it on the board. We include it in our links to recommended materials.
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Subjects:  1. Eating Disorders - General    2. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    3. Self-Help    4. Health & Fitness / Nutrition    5. Health & Fitness    6. Weight Loss    7. Eating Disorders    8. Compulsive eating   

Reviews (1)

Amazing.
This book is beautifully put together.Like a picture story book, this documentary of women struggling with/recovering from eating disorders is an eye opening look at how quickly and deeply someone can lose themselves and become a hollow shell of who they once were.It's an honest portrayal of a serious disease and its sufferers. The photographs, as all of Lauren Greenfield's photography I've seen, are beautiful and haunting.**Possible trigger for those in recovery. ** I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anorexia nervosa    2. Photo Essays    3. Photoessays & Documentaries    4. Photography    5. Pictorial works    6. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    7. Photography / Photo Essays   

Editorial Review

"I fell for the great American dream, female version, hook, line, and sinker," Marya Hornbacher writes. "I, as many young women do, honest-to-God believed that once I Just Lost a Few Pounds, suddenly I would be a New You, I would have Ken-doll men chasing my thin legs down with bouquets of flowers on the street, I would become rich and famous and glamorous and lose my freckles and become blond and five foot ten." Hornbacher describes in shocking detail her lifelong quest to starve herself to death, to force her short, athletic body to fade away. She remembers telling a friend, at age 4, that she was on a diet. Her bizarre tale includes not only the usual puking andstarving, but also being confined to mental hospitals and growing fur (a phenomenon called lanugo, which nature imposes to keep a body from freezing to death during periods of famine). ... Read more

Reviews (366)

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
I never truly left this book until it was done. I stopped at points and it took perhaps a week to finish, but it was always on my mind. I rolled over her story in my head as I went about my days (or daze).
Excellent, witty and very honest book
I've read a few lame teenage oriented, moralistic, politically correct books about eating disorders, but THIS is something completely different! Not only because Marya is a real, tallented writer, but even more because her writing is so honest, detailed and yet humorous in some strange way. She doesn't whin about her situation, she doesn't blame all the world and society, but she neither powders herself with ashes. She just tells her story, a story of a very seriuos, determined, tallented and unique girl who decided to become really thin and pushed her dieting obsession to its very limits, to the very edge of death. Details of her starving and purging practices, and of her inventive, deceiving methods to convince her family, friends and medical personel that she's fine, are scary, but this brutal realism makes you really think about eating disorders. Her eating disorder is not just a disorder, it's a real full-time job, a lifestyle, a dedication, and it's extremly frightening. I found her comments about her recent life very good and revealing too.
Fantastic Book
Marya Hornbacher paints a real and vivid image of her experience with anorexia. This is the best book on anorexia and bulimia I have ever read. I keep coming back to this book- I could read it again and again just because of Hornbachers talent for writing. She truely has a gift!
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Subjects:  1. Anorexia nervosa    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Bulimia    7. Eating Disorders - General    8. Patients    9. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    10. Specific Groups - Special Needs    11. United States    12. Women    13. Biography & Autobiography / Medical    14. Biography: general    15. Coping with eating disorders   

Features

• Unabridged

Reviews (3)

Change your eating, change your life...
"I believe in listening to the hunger of your body, and of your heart. Begin to actually look inside and see what it is you really, really want with your relationship with food, and how to get there." ~Geneen Roth
Life saver 100% Recomended
You will hear from Geneen Roth herself her story and how to break free from emotional eating, im 27 years old and beign fat as a child I started to diet very early on in my life, as long as I can remember I have been on a diet, I started my first diet when i was 10 years old, so as you can imagine my life has been centered on loosing wheight and after loosing it gaining it again an so on for what it seem like an eternity.
A MUST have book!!!!
This book and ANY Geneen Roth book is a life changer.I think her bold honesty about herself makes is ok to start being honest withyourself.She will change your life!I got more out of reading her books than therapy!!She has been there and done that.Have you ever gone through a drive in and ordered enough for an entire family but it was just for you.Then you say to the little speaker things like, 'and my kids want xxx' and you don't have kids!! When we eat in the middle of the night and no one sees it....we have ourselves convinced that doesn't count.The best of the book(s) is not just how she can bring the honesty out of the closet but she really address how emotions and eating go together and what we are really doing.Brilliant!!The work book she also has is really deep!If you want to deal with your emotional eating there is no other way to handle it than by Geneen Roth.She is the best! (and I am not related to her or a personal friend!) Like I said the key to her books is she has REALLY been there and done that and won the battle.I would give more than five stars if I could. It is a life changer!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Self-Help    2. Audiobooks    3. Compulsive eating    4. Eating Disorders    5. Eating Disorders - General    6. Intimacy (Psychology)    7. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    8. Self-Help    9. Spiritual Healing    10. Unabridged Audio - Self Help    11. Diets & dieting   

Reviews (17)

Amazing.
Morgan Menzie's Diary of an anorexic girl is truly amazing and heartfelt. It is by far one of the best diaries that i have ever read. It goes deep into Blythes descent into Anorexia and to her recovery. I used to anorexic, so this truly touched me. Though it may be triggering to someone who is still battling an ED it is worth the Read.

Talk About Real!!!
Morgan Menzie's book was the first diary of an eating disorder I read, and is the reason why I continue to read more ED books. She unlike many ED authors talked about things other that just her eating disorder, such as relationships with friends, family and boyfriends. It's not a book that's all about anorexia but does emphasize more so than other subjects in her diary.
Best Book Ever Written
This book was probably the best book that I ever read. I absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down. When Blythe would be so close in getting a boyfriend and then fly off the handle it would get me worked up, and it made me want to tell her "Calm down. Do you know what you doing?" I would get happy for her when she was so close to a boyfriend and something to bring happiness into her life, and then she would do something crazy and destroy all my hopes of her being happy. I couldn't believe that Becca was so stupid and didn't realize that she wasn't getting better. I can't believe that she just believed the food charts that Blythe did, even though she hadn't gained any weight or looked any diifferent. I was like "How stupid can you be lady!" This book really gets you involed and it made me wonder how people can be anorexic, but the problem is not their eating it is caused by something else. Once you figure out that problem and get it solved it will be easier to get yourself back on track and keep you regular. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anorexia nervosa    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    3. Christianity - Christian Life - General    4. Conduct of life    5. Diaries    6. Eating Disorders - General    7. Fiction    8. Religion    9. Social Issues - General    10. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / General    11. Youth Interests    12. Youth/Children   

Reviews (27)

Honest, Vulnerable, Thought Provoking
This healing book was also a real page-turner.I found that the author's honesty and vulnerability was refreshing.Although we all have our own stories, Ms. Roth writes about the feelings that accompany our stories and how these feelings are sometimes temporarily smothered in the warmth and comfort of food.Of course, food can't cure emotional pain...only physical hunger.Ms. Roth's book provides readers with hope that it's possible to heal old pain and put food in it's proper perspective.

Truth despite the distractions
Roth is a motivational speaker of sorts and it took me a while to get past her lack of psychological or other expertise, but I eventually gave her credibility for having worked with thousands of overweight women.Another gripe I had about the book is that it has a little too much of her personal history, which persuades me that she has issues she isn't dealing with yet herself.But above all that, I found the truths of her main points about complusive eating to be paralyzing for their profundity -- we have to heal ourselves emotionally to get eating under control. Sounds obvious, but she takes the reader much deeper.I think it's on page 125 or 126 where she lists questions that each of us must be able to face and answer in order to conquer both goals.I copied the page and use it as a sort of guide in my own emtional growth.In short, I recommend the book.

This is an important book
Ok, so I thought this book was going to be ridiculously dweeby; I saw it years ago and resisted it because the title embarassed me. But I read it in less than 48 hours because it spoke to me. It's a very powerful memoir that I'm sure will resonate with a lot of people. It's so important to confront the past and not oppress ourselves in the present because we've suffered as a result of something outside ourselves. It's also an important alternative to the food nazis and didactic fitness industry types who are just hateful towards people who have real problems to deal with. Very inspiring, very empowering. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Compulsive eating    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Diet/Nutrition    4. Eating Disorders - General    5. General    6. Human relations    7. Intimacy (Psychology)    8. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    9. General cookery    10. Self-Help / Eating Disorders   

Reviews (14)

Very psycho educational book
I find this book very useful in understanding binge eating disorder. I think its very user - reader friendly and use is very often in therapy.

Anatomy of a Food Addiction
If you want to understand why your eating habits are out of control, this is the book which explains it!This book has really helped me to understand why I am so addicted to sugar and flour, and explains how one needs to abstain from these foods.I still have to rely on O.A. in order to keep the motivation to eat properly, but I come back to this book on a regular basis to keep my mind focused on why I keep returning to bad eating habits and how I am not to blame.GREAT BOOK.

Lifesaving Information!
Ironically, it was a negative comment written by another reviewer that told me this was the book for me!They had mentioned the author's prescription of abstinence from sugar and white flour products to stop the carvings.You see, I know firsthand that this is a necessary and extremely effective step in combating food cravings and the binges that characterize a food addiction. (By the way this is not an "Atkins like" diet in any way, shape or form - you are still allowed heatlhy whole grains, fruits etc.)I just didn't know WHY it worked for me.For more than a year, I abstained from eating white flour products, fruits and sugars due to actual food allergies and as a wonderful side effect, all of my cravings for and obsessive thoughts about these foods ceased completely.I was no longer driven to or dependent on food.However, because I wasn't aware of why I had been so dependent on food in the past, I allowed myself to have a slice of cake on my birthday which turned out to be a huge mistake.Bam!I was right back in and I haven't been able to abstain ever since.After reading this book, I uncovered the other more important and insidious reason for my inability to regain abstinence - namely, the emotional issues that drive me to food.This aspect of the book, is the most important of all.This book feels like it was written for me.I've had every thought, every feelingDr. Katherine relates.Her writing exposes my inner life, a life I thought was mine alone but in reality most, if not all, overeaters share the same experiences!Do yourself, your body, your soul a favor and buy this book! Thank you Anne Katherine! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Psychology    2. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    3. Psychopathology - General    4. Self-Help    5. Coping with eating disorders   

Reviews (11)

your search forthe perfectbook on eating disorders is over!
Karen is spot on with this book. Well organized and well written, Karen gets right down to the point that anyone with a eating disorder can relate to. It's easy to refer back to over and over again and great to keep in your tote bag in case of the need for emergancy support. Though she makes the process of normal eating seem like a walk in the park, she reminds the reader that it takes time and effort. But everything she says makes so much sense.

Learn How to Develop a Healthy Relationship with Food
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/06)
Sometimes you just have to face the pain
"The Rules of 'Normal' Eating" is a touching,hopeful, helpful. loving and validating book written in everyday language with great humor and wide appeal. Karen Koenig hits on so many dysfunctional eating beliefs, behaviors and feelings that disordered eaters cannot help but see themselves. This book should not just be read by individuals on their journey of recovery,but by the therapists who wish to guide and support them as well. The American culture has become pleasure-seeking and pain-avoidant to the extent that we will often do anything to avoid experiencing emotional discomfort. This book is a reminder that only good can come out of an exploration of what drives us so that we can learn to endure,understand and resolve our emotional pain. This book is the light at the end of the tunnel that replaces the light at the back of the fridge. Nina Martin,BSN,LCSW,former director of an inpatient eating disorder program at a community hospital in Suffern, N.Y. and current director of the mental health clinic at the same hospital. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diet/Nutrition    3. Diets - General    4. Eating disorders    5. Food    6. Health & Fitness    7. Nutrition    8. Nutrition And Diet    9. Obesity    10. Prevention    11. Psychological aspects    12. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    13. Diets & dieting    14. Health & Fitness / Diets   

Reviews (5)

Really Helpful Book
This workbook is good for many reasons.It is written in a way that is easy to read, and very interesting.It does not seem at all like a dry textbook.It covers everything from defining eating disorders, to the root of the problem, to steps to take to begin recovering.I would highly recommend it for all ages.

Easy to follow instructions, but can be improved
The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow.It would have been better if the authors had given guidelines on how to judge when to move on to the next phase of recovery, and how to deal with feelings that arise at each stage.

Using with my therapist and DBT
This book breaks it down and then builds you up on a path to recovery. I use it as part of the things I pick up when I absolutely don't know what to do next and the disease is beating down my door. Very well written. Highly recommended for the bullimic that is ready for recovery. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Eating Disorders - Bulimia Nervosa    2. Eating Disorders - General    3. Self-Help    4. Coping with eating disorders   

Reviews (29)

A severe program for a person with a severe problem
I think the maximum benefit of this book comes to a person with a serious binging problem.The first part of the book describes the nature of food addiction and gives many examples.The second part of the book descibes the recommended food plan for people with a food addiction.The food plan is extreme - but probably appropriate for treating a severe problem.
This book improved the quality of my life.
I grew up crying myself to sleep for overeating: hating myself wondering why I couldn't stop forcing food in my face even though I was horrified by any extra weight and my stomach was beyond full. Why didn't the threat of being heavy stop me? Why was I eating when I was way past full? Why could I not stop myself when what I really wanted was to stop myself?
Saved my life
After 50 years of active food addiction, I am abstinent for four years using the work of Kay Sheppard described in this book. As a result of this abstinence, a whole new life has opened up to me. I recommend this book to those for whom food intake or withholding is an issue. It saved my life.
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Subjects:  1. Bulimia    2. Compulsive eating    3. Eating disorders    4. Popular works    5. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    6. Self-Help    7. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    8. Coping with eating disorders    9. Self-Help / Substance Abuse   

Reviews (12)

This is the last 'Diet' book you will need
Finally I have found the answers I have been searching for. I feel as if I have read every book on dieting and not dieting and most of them will tell you what to eat, what not to eat or that you are eating for all the wrong reasons. OK, great, I know that...so HOW DO I STOP? This book guides you through the process of recognizing the emotions that lead to overeating and guides you through the process of sitting with the emotions instead of eating through them. The author is so right on with the thought process and behaviors of emotional eaters (such as describing how we may come home and we are tired and instead of getting rest, we have a need to reconnect or unwind and tend to start eating at that point...I certainly can relate to that!), yet she takes it to the next level and beyond by giving tools to deal with feelings and emotions that don't involve food for coping. She doesn't suggest eating celery or lettuce or 15 gallons of water. This is not about temporary distractions, but permanent healing. I have a circle of friends that have recently purchased this book and we can't wait to have everyone go through it and start a discussion group!

Change Your Life
I've never written a review before, but I feel very strongly about this book because it's changed my life. One of the author's central premises is that you need to deal with your emotions instead of eating to make them go away. Once I understood it; something clicked. In the past two weeks, I've lost 4 pounds without dieting; the difference is that I haven't pigged out when I get upset. I feel a million times better about myself and know that I can change my life.

Simple real life tools!!!
I felt like parts of this book were written for me.It was refreshing to get simple real life tools to use immediately.This book addresses the whole person not just the eating. I've done years of other programs on and off. This book helped me in ways no other program even addressed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Compulsive eating    2. Diet    3. Eating Disorders    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health & Fitness / Weight Loss    6. Psychological aspects    7. Self-Help    8. Self-Help / Eating Disorders    9. Weight Loss   

Reviews (9)

Finally No More Diets!
I love this book. I'm actually still doing the exercises in the book. I believe there are almost 90 exercises. Geneen requires you dig deep. The first few days of doing the work, I was a mess. I have used food to not deal with my emotions for so many years, that it actually brought me back to my emotional self as a teenager. My first diet started when I was 15 at 102 pounds! I had went over that 100 pound mark then, started my first diet, and never dealt with my emotions after that unless it involved food. I'm almost 40 years old now and thought this vicious cycle would never end. The more I dieted and deprived myself, the more I weighed in the end.
Don't waste your time or money
This book is not what I expected.It's more of a "workbook" instead of a book to read.I was thoroughly disappointed.

A Life-Transforming Experience
Having struggled with an eating disorder for the past 10 years of my life, I was certain that I would never have a healthy relationship with food again.But, then a good friend gave me Geneen's book, and I have not looked back since on those doubtful thoughts.This is a truely incredible program that, when followed and supplemented with Geneen's books "When Food Is Love" and "Feeding the Hungry Heart", can and will take the word "diet" out of your vocabularly forever.I have never felt better about myself and have never actually lost weight while still eating anything I wanted. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Diet / Health / Fitness    2. Diet/Nutrition    3. Eating Disorders - General    4. General    5. Neuropsychology    6. Diets & dieting    7. Health & Fitness / Weight Loss   

Reviews (20)

Disappointing!
I was really disappointed when I read this book.If you've read the 12 steps of compulsive overeating, then you've pretty much read this book.It tells you the same thing.It takes forever to get you to the place where you can create your own meal plan...and what a joke!There's no way I can stick to something like that.I would starve too death!
Traditional 12 step approach
After I read the book and was very disappointed, I went on-line to write this review.I find myself agreeing completely with the reviews that gave this book a low rating.It is yet another attempt to espouse the virtues of the 12 step Overeaters Anonymous program.While I think there are good aspects of the 12 step program and that it may help some, there are many that the program simply wouldn't work for, including myself.Mainly, I think, because it mandates that you cut flour, sugar, and other foods completely from your diet. I feel that this sets a person up to fail because one ends up feeling deprived, which leads to binging.In fact there is a whole chapter in the book that talks about case studies and nearly every person mentioned has relapsed and is valiantly trying to get back to abstinence and lose the weight yet again.I would suggest that instead of working a program that obviously isn't working, they should perhaps seek another solution, maybe in the form of professional counseling.I would recommend "The Solution" by Laurel Mellin, which is a comprehensive support solution with groups and pyschologists around the country practicing the methods given in the book.I have found this method much more helpful than Overeaters Anonymous ever was.If OA is working for you, then I think that is great, but if you are like me and do not find that it fits you, I encourage you to look elsewhere.The Solution is a great place to start, and if you want to check out the website go to WWW.Sweetestfruit.com.

A disappointment
What a disappointment!The authors’ answer to binge-eating is simply eliminating all sugar, flour, fat, caffeine, or whatever your “trigger” foods are from your diet.Not only that, but they insist you must weigh and measure your food all the time for the rest of your life.That’s hardly what I consider freeing yourself from obsessing about food.They actually recommend keeping an emergency food kit in your car to be sure you always have measuring cups, a food scale, and several cans of “safe” food available to you at all times.Perhaps this is wise advice for people who are morbidly obese, but for those of us who are at a normal weight, or only slightly over, and are looking for some insight and realistic advice on dealing with compulsive/binge eating, this book is NOT the answer! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Compulsive eating    2. Eating Disorders    3. Eating Disorders - General    4. Health/Fitness    5. Psychology    6. Self-Help    7. Twelve-step programs    8. Coping with eating disorders    9. Diets & dieting    10. Self-Help / Substance Abuse   

Reviews (9)

Excellent resource
Offering information and answers to parents who are dealing with this issue is what makes Ms. Natenshon's book so unique. In addition to providing great information in a clear and easy to understand manner, the author prepares a clear path for parents and professionals to understnad how to prevent and ultimately to treat various eating disorders. A must have for anyone coping with this difficult issue.
educational, unconditional, and a grand lesson for communicating
I am a 29 year old adult who went through the recovery process of an eating disorder 10 years ago. Upon experiencing a reoccurrence of the disorder, I read this book. I was elated with the knowledge and kindness vibrating off the pages. I have gotten back on track thanks to Abigail. In addition to the education on Eating Disorders, I found this book a GEM on communicating. It has changed the way my husband and I speak and listen to one another, as well as our young children. It encourages family dynamics be explored to help recovery, but is it not a good lesson for all parents (families)to learn to "hear" what is said, and to what is not said. I will keep this book on my shelf as an invaluable resource for Eating Disorders, or any emotional disorder that may come up, for parenting, and for communication skills. Thank you, Abbie for your time and efforts in writting this book.

Essential for Parents and Caregivers
This book is essential for anyone who wants to learn how to love an eating disordered child or adult. We were dealing with this for 5 years already before I found this book, and I can't emphasize enough how encouraging, informative, supportive and instructive this book is! Anyone who thinks they might have a child with an eating disorder would benefit from getting this book as soon as they can, but I have also recommended that our counselors and family therapist buy this book as well. They would benefit from the depth and breadth of Abigail's experience, but also, it would help considerably with their family therapy sessions if they gave the families this book to read. Most books are written to try to help the person who has the disorder. This book is especially for the caregivers and the parents who experience all the heartache and confusion of trying to help their child. Abigail Natenshon really understands that heartache and confusion and is able to communicate care and concern for theparents and families and yet such helpful instructions on steps they can take. She really believes in the importance of the family system to help the recovery process. When I felt like we had tried absolutely everything and nothing worked, this book gave me renewed hope and ideas for pressing on. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Eating Disorders    2. Eating Disorders - General    3. Eating disorders in adolescenc    4. Eating disorders in adolescence    5. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    6. Family/Marriage    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Parenting - General    9. Prevention    10. Psychology    11. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    12. Child & developmental psychology    13. Coping with eating disorders    14. Psychology & Psychiatry / Child Psychology    15. Family & Relationships    16. Parenting   

Reviews (15)

no title
The best book I've yet read on compulsive eating.One line touched me to the core.Do I eat to mother myself because I never got any; to nurture myself?Maybe that's why I need a dog, someone who I feel loves me totally and completely as me, not as a daughter or a wife?But this book also showed some very sick people in regards to food, some very bad binges and sneak eating.My life and thought do tend to revolve around food - buying it, cooking it, eating it.The writing is excellent.Roth should really write a novel or something more demanding.She can write well.I do wonder if the writing of other women was not polished up by her.

All the sugar and 2x the caffeine, please. No teenager should live inside an ED.
Living with an eating-disordered father all my life, it's no surprise that I started sneaking and hoarding food up in my bedroom by the age of 6. He snuck his binge foods, too, existing on diet Coke, eggbeaters, fat-free cheese, and salads of entire heads of lettuce adorned with other fat free vegetables and topped with fat-free dressing to take to work-- where he'd eat a 2lb. bag of M&M's in one shift. When I became clinically bulimic at 12, he slowly ceased restocking the pantry and fridge. I was hospitalized on an eating disorders unit twice- first merely because of the bulimia. My mother, at least, was perfect happy about the 18 extra lbs I'd lost, no matter how dangerously they'd gone. The second time I was admitted to the same unit, I had been purging every last thing I ate, and spent all of my free time either trying to mimick the detailed exercise charts of "true-life anorexic memoirs" OR bingeing and purging my brains out.
A New Way of Thinking
Geneen Roth has opened up a new path in my journey to recovery from compulsive eating.Her ideas and suggestions put my eating disorder in a different light.It is nothing to be so ashamed of that I continue my own self-sabotage. With work - getting rid of the old messages surrounding my compulsive eating - I will discover the me I was created to be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Compulsive eating    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Eating Disorders - General    4. General    5. Health/Fitness    6. Psychology    7. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    8. Popular medicine    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / Eating Disorders   

Reviews (12)

Does not help at all
I actually returned this book because it had very little , if anything, to do with WHY you actually compulsively eat. it did not go into or even explained the psychological factors that influence C.O. all this book talk about is how women's self-image is polluted with diet ads etc, etc. it does not deal at all with how to actually stop, in an effective way.
true story
This book is full of good information on why a person overeats. It isn't a book you can read in one evening. It will take some time to read it thoroughly.

Its not about food
I wish I could say I lost 20 pounds but I haven't but am on the way too. I'm 5'4 and 120 pounds and obsess about food. Although it focused on undereating which to me was very annoying because overeating is more of an epidemic than undereating, yet the authors chose to equate the two. Anyways, this book is a worth read because for once in my life they made me believe that food is not your friend, it is not a panacea, it is just food, and it doesn't solve your problems. For years I have hid in food, now I am mad because I can no longer do so. It was easy, but it didn't work. For the first time in 2 years I cried, I stopped myself, but at least I did it a little. Anyhow, I recommend this book for the sole fact that it broke up my relationship with food, which is very painful but I am no longer a coward. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Eating Disorders - General    2. Eating disorders    3. Obsessive-compulsive disorder    4. Popular works    5. Psychological as