Obesity-and-Overweight Books

(HUNGRY) is a humorous and motivating book about living life in the fat lane. Allen Zadoff's fast-paced, witty, yet poignant writing style gives any overweight person an honest look into themselves. It's a diet tool that will inspire the reader to reach the same success level that Zadoff did in learning to control the urge to eat, compulsively! Every overweight person should read this book!

As the author says more than once, not everyone will relate to his particular story with food. I think anyone with eating issues would find something in this book to be of help. I could relate all too well, and appreciate the author's candor at revealing things about himself, and his thoughts, that were of help to my own situation.

How is everyone doing in conquering this:
~*weight loss battle*~?
It really is a WAR against those excess pounds, isn't it?

After reading HUNGRY by Allen Zadoff, I decided not to call it a 'diet' because it is not suppose to be a reducing diet but a healthy way of eating.

This book gives you some ammunition to WIN that war!
(Although you will always have to be 'on guard' for the rest of your life!)

It was a worthwhile book to read...It had short one or two pages chapters. None of that recipe filler pages.

One of our 'assignments' was to try and figure out WHY
we over-eat and make ourselves over-weight.
There is a reason. He suggested maybe it is an addiction
or a disease we need to treat not just cover up with a 'diet'?

He lost 150 lbs...The way he did it was to analyze his feelings and
then to not eat foods that are trigger foods. He had us make a list
of red, yellow and green foods....red meaning those
that we just can't stop eating once we start (like sweets)
yellow meaning those that sometimes cause over-eating problems, and
green are those that are OK and good for us; never lead
to a binge. (Like a traffic light, red STOP, yellow CAUTION and green GO.

He didn't tell us what to eat because everyone's list would be
different.
Allen reminded me of my nephew that also lost a great deal of weight.

For instance, how when Allen was at a normal weight, after weighing 360 lbs. (And having only one pair of pants that fit that were worn out in the crouch.)
It was difficult to think like a normal weight person. (Like how to react when a pretty girl flirted with him.)

This is the suggestion that I am going to have to do since I am
an evening nibbler. Only eat 3 meals each day...(From the green list.)
"Three delicious, abundant meals made up of foods I can handle."Zadoff.

It sounds so sensible yet I haven't done that in a long long time.
I need to stop this mindless evening snacking...that mouth hungry not
stomach hungry HABIT! It is very very hard to break these bad eating habits!

If you can get the book, I highly recommend it.

Allen's final statement:
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can
start from now and make a brand new ending." Carl Bard

I really enjoyed this book. In clear, no nonsense language Allen Zadoff managed to convey to the reader the pain of being very over weight with no self pity, no real excuses. He ate too much at one time. Period. Then, somehow after reaching 300+ pounds, he looked inside of himself and accepted a truth. He needed to eat less. So - no more dieting for him. He decided to establish a traffic light of an idea. Red light for dangerous food, yellow light for foods that need to be approached with caution and green food - the kind one can eat lots of and manage to stay slim. I loved this idea. I don't have a huge weight problem, but I do eat too much at times for a variety of reasons. I swear - as soon as I did what Zadoff said, wrote down my red, yellow and green foods, I began to eat less. And I began to lose weight. Wow. Thanks, Mr. Zadoff. You did a great job. I hope everyone who has ever struggled with weight reads this book. It's short but the message is clear. Look at what you eat. Identify problem foods. Approach them with caution. I guess he said it all.

I can't believe such a terrible book can be reviewed so highly. I think he didn't say anything everyone who has a problem with food doesn't know. IN fact he doesn't really reveal himself at all. He uses thumor to hide behind rather than tell the truth. How does such a skimpy book get published?. He hints O.A is the only answer to overeating. He never explains what home problems kept his addiction active. I find it cruel to give hope to others with one method while telling us nothing else works. Everyone is differet and what works is different. This book is not quite a memoir, not quite a self help book,not quite a book. It is said to be a non diet book but I felt like I had been put on a skimpy diet with this badly written book. sorry. but I could write a more truthful book in my sleep and I have kept off sixty pounds. Hey, let me write a book. Save your money and time on this one. I felt cheated.

I loved loved this book....I checked it out at our local library and read it cover to cover in two days...Thats a record for me...I love that this woman took a sensible approach to her weight loss and over a course of 4 years, took the weight off. I find it frustrating when all the books tell of 100+ weight loss in a matter of 10-12 months...It made me feel lazy and inadequate to have lost 60 in a year...but not anymore having read this book. So many of the things she went thru I can relate to and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel gives me so much added motivation to keep doing what I am doing and it will pay off...It has already...Definately a book to read over and over again:)

This is a wonderful book showing some ups and more downs of the scale. This woman shows by example in her experience that if we don't follow a food regiment 100% you can still attain your goal of loosing weight. It is really refreshing to read that you can make a goal even when you slip away from it now and then, but you have to not give up. A good read hard to put down.

I bought this book on Saturday and finished it on Tuesday. I could hardly put it down. I also weigh what Sandra did and then some. This book was really motivating and I saw so much of myself in it so I could relate to it. It really gives me hope and shows me I am normal. I have been going to T.O.P.S. since April 2001 and have lost over 30 pounds and began backsliding. Now I see that may happen from time to time and I just need to stay motivated. Thank you for this book.I am a 37 yr. old widow with 2 children and really need to stay on track to be here for them and I think this book will help me.

I enjoyed the spirit with which this book was written. By the time I finished I felt as though I knew Sandra and her wonderful supportive family. I was cheering her on throughout the book. Not only did she lose weight for herself but she chose this time to help others and start up aerobic classes for women who feel left out at most health clubs. Her relationship with Richard Simmons made me smile. They had such mutual respect. It is wonderful that she accomplished what she did, helped others and at the same time wrote an enjoyable uplifting book.

In particular I liked the way she did not hold back her feelings or her problems. She tells it "like it is". I recommend this book even if weight loss is not the goal. She puts a positive spin on other things as well.

Not only is this book the bargain of the year, but it is literally the best diet book ever written. This lady tells her story from the beginning to what is going on today. It is like reading her diary. There are no gaps to the story-which I really appreciated. She tells you every step she took to lose the weight including what exercise she did along the way. She also tells you how your family and friends will react to your weight loss. For anyone who wants a "Step by Step" account of how a friend lost her weight, this is a "must" read. After reading Sandra's book, you feel like you are her friend. Very inspiring with an honest approach to weight loss. I can't say enough about this book!!

I read the reviews before buying this and thought it would be great. My 3 yr old is overweight and I needed some ideas to eat more healthy. If you already know much about eating healthy, a lot of the things in this book you will already know. I really bought it for the menu items to cook things she would enjoy eating. There really weren't very receipes. If you are buying it as a cookbook, I would think twice. It did have some good tips, but it isn't a book I'll be using every day to help think of dinner ideas.

My daughters and I have really enjoyed this book. The book's "field guide" approach makes it easy to read and understand. My ten year-old makes the snacks with the recipes provided. We love this hassle free system to feeding the kids! Thank you!

I found this book while looking for some healthy recipes that my kids (2 & 4) would eat. It turned out to be much more than just recipes- it has changed the way our family eats- for the better! It has an easy to follow six-week plan, which I think is brilliant, because you can gradually add in healthy items and the kids don't even notice that they're eating healthier. The plan is also very flexible- you do what works for your family. I don't want to completely ban treats, but I know that for the most part we are eating healthy, so I don't mind us having some special treats now and then. It has some great recipes in it, too. I just think it is a great book for any parent to have and I highly recommend it! My family is well on it's way to a healthier diet and the kids enjoy the food, too.

This book is an absolute asset to any family and of course to every kitchen! This is the book to get for all those who are bogged down in the never ending cycle of work, home, extra murals, not knowing even what to shop for half the time, tired and bored with food and no new ideas on getting your family back on track and eating the way you should be eating. I have two kids, I work, I run a business, my schedule is never ending and I'm totally out of food ideas. This book has been so refreshing in its non-judgemental and realistic approach to improving your lifestyle and eating habits and getting into a routine and situation that just works! What I would suggest is that if you're looking for recipes as well, to also go ahead and buy a couple of practical kid friendly cook books to draw inspiration from. Go for something that is easy and doesn't require any drawn out preparations - just something to grab and go and cook up in less than an hour. There are some really great recipes in Feeding the Kids, however I feel that more is more and only serve to add to the variety, making life even easier! Meal planning although it can take some time initially is also something to really go for! Buy yourself a journal and spend some time - even over the period of a week or so, preparing a month or even two weeks worth of menus. This way you can photocopy and paste recipes into the journal and have everything you need on hand when you go shopping and are ready to cook. With two weeks worth of recipes and meals you just recycle when you get to the end of it and probably go several months that way too! I found books like sneaky chef and deceptively delicious to be a waste of time and energy - get your kids into the real deal! Quite honestly I think they probably gain more from V8 or fresh smoothies made from real fresh fruit that hasn't been cooked up to hell and gone, pureed and then recooked - probably leaving all the nutrients behind anyway!

As a Mom who doesn't enjoy fancy or complicated cooking, I highly recommend this book! The recipes are easy and the menus offer great ideas for pulling together balanced and nutritious meals and snacks. In addition, the nutrition information is presented in a logical, easy to understand way! This book has really turned my family's poor eating habits around!

Prepare to laugh, cry and cringe --- but also to learn --- as Abby Ellin leads us through the landscape of obese teen life. First, though, a confession: When I volunteered to read this book, I feared that I was facing a hard, long slog through a dry tome packed with scientific studies on how to help an overweight kid drop a few pounds. Instead, I could barely put down this lively read. Ellin keeps a page-turning pace as she skillfully weaves her own story as a heavy, weight-obsessed teenager through the stories of other such adolescents.

Ellin begins with her own family, who courageously support her by not challenging her right to tell the unvarnished truth about the ways in which her home contributed to her weight problems and food fixations. Interestingly, the family's attitudes toward weight resulted in the author's sister becoming anorexic. Even as Ellin grew larger and larger, her sister began dieting by third grade.

Ellin's grandmother was a major influence on her self-image, withholding affections when Ellin gained weight. On visits to Grandma's house in Florida, Grandma weighed Ellin daily. At home, Ellin's mother obsessed over her own weight, restricted her diet and exercised before stepping on the scales each morning. She taped a photo of an obese woman on the refrigerator door. Both grandmother and mother repeatedly drilled into Ellin and her sister the dangers of gaining weight. As a child, Ellin was devastated when her grandmother told her she couldn't come to Florida for a visit at Christmastime unless she lost 15 pounds. The ploy didn't work. Nothing really did, for many long, sad years.

Ellin spent six years at weight-loss camps. She lost weight but also learned more about dysfunctional eating and how to do it (one counselor sneaked Ellin out to buy a cart full of candy and cookies because "Your body's getting used to the diet. You need sugar to give it a jolt."). In describing her fat camp days, she tells us the story of the owners of weight-loss camps, beginning with her visit as an adult with the man who ran the first weight-loss camp Ellin attended. During her visit, she talks with young campers, giving us the first of many insightful conversations with teens seeking to lose weight. What they say about their parents can make a reader weep.

In TEENAGE WAISTLAND, we learn what has helped teenagers lose weight and, (heartbreakingly) more often, what has either not helped them or made them worse. Experts --- from fat camp leaders to directors of weight loss programs to bariatric surgeons, researchers and fat activists (and more) --- represent a variety of attitudes as each discusses the best way to help heavy adolescents. Ellin compassionately presents suggestions to parents on ways to support an obese child, all based on respect.

Although there is not a single solution to such a complicated problem, reading this book is informative and helpful. It is a horrifying and fascinating study in our culture's warped attitude toward food and weight. Even if you don't have a child with weight issues, TEENAGE WAISTLAND is an engrossing read.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

I work in public health and struggle to find resources that are useful. This is a great book for everyone. There is no magic pill and there is no easy fix - but there are LOTS of ways to make things worse. Until we have changed our social norms, our environment, and the availability and ease to make healthy choices, it's going to be a long, tough road. This book is a great read that describes what it's like to struggle with weight - good for those of us who are lucky and think our 5-8 pound struggle is horrible, as well as those who struggle with real weight challenges and are ready to hear the painful truth of a child's experience. Well done, Abby.

An honest look at America's obsession with weight loss and how it affects the younger generation. The author, a former fat kid and fat camp survivor (though not a parent, as she acknowledges) explores various ways to lose weight from fat camps to nagging to behavior modification and surgery, among others. Sadly, there is no quick fix or even well-planned diet and exercise program that works for all, or even some. Due both to lack of willpower or incentive, and physical factors beyond the dieter's control, often the weight is lost then gained then lost again.

"Teenage Waistland" lets the young subjects speak for themselves. It is a fascinating look at a controversial subject.

This book was extremely helpful to me and my family. As the parent of an overweight child, Abby Ellin's insight as a "former fat kid" is a hands-on "what to do/"what not to do" primer for any parents dealing with these sensitive issues. You're never really sure what to do until you're faced with it head on and Ellin's book showed that it's the sensible approach that makes the most sense. Don't panic; don't over react (as is the most instant impulse). Just act sensibly. Well done!

Simply put, Abby Ellin "gets it". She had a childhood relationship with weight, food, and family that stays with her, regardless of what the scale says today. She candidly tells her story, which isn't always a happy one, but it's often hilarious. When it comes to the "fat kid epidemic", the author doesn't claim to have all the answers, but is very willing to explore a variety of solutions. Teenage Waistland is tragic, eye-opening, humorous and true. Once you read the introduction: Fat Kid Blues - you'll be hooked, just like the author is on Hostess cupcakes!

Glenn Gaesser, Big Fat Lies (Gurze, 2002)

Do yourself a favor-- find this book and read it as soon as possible.

The first two sections of this book show a study in selective reasoning by the medical establishment. Gaesser provides a mountain of evidence that all we've been told by the insurance industry, the medical industry, and the fitness over the last half-century or so regarding weight loss is a lie. We hear some of it now and again on the news, especially how low weight is linked to osteoporosis, but you've never seen this much of it together all in one place. Gaesser's position is that exercise, not weight, is primarily responsible for a person's health, and that "exercise" as we know it today (high-impact aerobic exercise) is not the be-all and end-all foisted upon us. All of which points out why overweight and obese people should be reading it (and popularizing it), and they are its target audience to be sure, but Gaesser makes a lot of noise about the normal- or underweight unfit, too.

The first two parts of the book are the theory, the third part is the practice. Gaesser provides a simple, easy-to-follow exercise regimen suggestion, infinitely customizable for the average person, and dietary suggestions without ever proposing a diet per se; his goal is to steer us towards eating healthier rather than rationing out what we can and can't eat. Again, the thin will benefit from following his guidelines just as much as the overweight. It's all common sense, of course, but he does point out a number of things that may surprise the average grocery shopper (for example, the actual amount of fat to be found in whole milk, which is staggering).

The book's only real flaw is stylistic; Gaesser, not to much surprise, has adopted the medical-jargon use of "overweight" and "underweight" as nouns rather than adjectives, and it's enough to drive the average stickler up the wall. It is certainly not, however, enough to put anyone off reading this. It may be the most important book you read all year, and should go on the short shelf of sacred books next to Peele's The Diseasing of America. **** ½

Read this book before you try one more plan to get thin. It helps you see that, for most people, losing weight is an aesthetic decision, not a health one. You can look at yourself more kindly, realizing that you are not ruining your health, unless you actually do have a weight related condition. You can look at other big folks more kindly- be honest; you know you judge others!- realizing you have no more idea of whether they are unhealthy than their thin counterparts-as if it was any of your business! But, really, the facts helped to loosen the hold this topic had for me. There are other books that go farther with appearance acceptance, but this one is a great start to feel confident it's really okay to go there!

I learned the truth about both Weight Tables and Diets, as well as the importance of Nutrition and Exercise. In this book, Dr Glaesser explains the historical context of the American Weight Tables and their formation by Met Life Insurance Company. His extensive research has shown that people with higher weights can be fit and sometimes even fitter than the ones that actually fit into the prescribed weight tables. For me this is a startling finding. I am relieved to learn that Glaesser recommends allowing our bodies to equilibrate around our natural set point rather than yo-yo dieting to try to attain a weight that we have been taught is optimal. In depth discussions of good vs bad types of body fat are also informative and further make Big Fat Lies a good and instructive read.

I'd love to have a case of this book so that I could gift one to every health care professional who has made snap decisions on their patients based on visible fat. Well, I guess I'd need more than a case of them, wouldn't I... because that tendency is far too prevalent.

I am a healthcare worker, and have long had a love/hate relationship with my fat body. Yes, I do think obesity exacerbates preexisting illnesses; but I don't believe fat causes illness in and of itself. Looking at comparative studies of people who are of moderate weight and even thin who have the same dietary and exercise patterns would be a more useful guage than immediately assuming that weight loss will magically make health problems disappear. Many times, it doesn't.

Recently the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that claimed that weight loss could extend your life by a (staggering) five to nine months. Wow. Whoopee.

What if being overweight could be healthy? Apparently, it's not the pipe dream the majority of the world and researchers would like us to think. In Big Fat Lies, Glenn Gaesser unlocks the myths about obesity specifically the biggest of them all "obesity kills". Glenn is a graduate of the University of California and taught at UCLA and the University of Virginia so he isn't just blowing smoke up our fat butts.

He feels the obsession of a person's weight needs to be dropped mostly because weight loss is no guarantee for improved health. With his book he hopes to reshape your thinking on the various aspects of body weight and health, I think he will. Obviously, some facts are unquestionable if you eat only bad food and don't exercise you're in trouble. But overweight people can be strong and healthy; sometimes stronger and healthier than their slim counterparts.

With simple truths and simple facts Glenn explains how our expectations of body weight have been directed by insurance companies, the diet industry (30 billion plus industry), the fashion industry and of course media appeal. He thinks we should be focusing on metabolic fitness instead of weight. He discusses in great detail his views on metabolic fitness.

Glenn succeeds in taking the focus off weight. Instead he sheds light on the importance of physical activity over "exercise". The purpose of the physical activity is not to lose weight but to be healthy by moving. Lo-Carb-ers will not be impressed with the Nutrition for Metabolic Fitness section but I like how he encourages adding instead of taking away. According to him "No foods are strictly off limits."

A lot of what's discussed are the studies ignored over the last 20+ years showing body fat is not the problem. "Fat in the arteries and fat on the body are different and not necessarily related." Study after study becomes a bit tedious after a while but it is still good to know there's more to the studies than "obesity kills." For sure this book won't appease the die hard skeptic but for those of us who are obese, eat our fruits, veggies and continue a daily bout of physical activity, at least we know for sure it isn't all in our head. We're healthy.

I'm sure when you are finished reading Big Fat Lies you'll have a different view on the role of fat in your life. Pun intended. Reviewed by M. E. Wood

A very strong, accurate and timely message about parental responsiblitiy in the fight against childhood obesity. Packed with facts, figures and common sense about the slide in family health and how to motivate your family towards proper diet and exercise. This should be required reading not only for current parents but for all future parents. Young adults get very little, if any, training on parenting before and after they marry. They have no idea what to expect. This book would be an excellent training tool and an eye-opener on one of the responsibilities of parenthood for all prospective parents.

Todd Hollander has done the parents of American children a wonderful service by writing this book! It presents the data clearly and objectively in a very readable fashion. He explores all of the factors involved in our childhood obesity epidemic and offers interventions and lifestyle change tips to help families make progress with this problem. I am a pediatrician who sees children in a Cholesterol Clinic and am currently recommending "We're Killing Our Kids" to my patient families. I would urge you to read this book if you have an overweight or obese child or if you are concerned about the childhood obesity epidemic. There are things you can do to turn the situation around!

Susan Lynch, MD

Mr. Hollander's book was so captivating I read it in one sitting.

He provides clear insight into the problems we face with our childrens' (and our own) eating habits. His analysis of the data is clear and concise. His easy-to-follow guidelines are well researched and make it easy to avoid the pitfalls so common in our society.

I highly recommend this book.

I will be recommending this book to all the parents of children at risk for obesity in my practice. I found the data presented compelling and accurate and the style of writing perfect for the lay reader. Hollander has done a great job tackling this modern epidemic and presents a practical stepwise approach to change.

Richard C. Han, M.D., FAAP
Pediatrician
Englewood Cliffs, NJ

We're Killing Our Kids is a must read for every adult who seeks a solution to the problem of overweight children. Without casting blame or causing guilt, Hollander details not only the leading causes of this epidemic, but more importantly, practical steps that adults can take at home, at school, and in the community to enable children to develop healthy habits of balanced eating and regular exercise. If you care about kids, read this book!

Mark Gan, MD

El Paso, TX

I purchased this book because a friend of mine suggested it. She thought that it went right along with the Body Talk and Essential Oil book that I had been using. I thank her every day that she had suggested it.
I found this book so fascinating that I couldn't put it down. So I finished it on the day that I received it. It makes so much sence of why it is that we put on weight. It helps you to analyze what has triggered the weight gain that you have. And gives examples of how we can overcome the triggers.
This book has been a real eye opener for me. It made me look at myself differently and how I can improve on myself.
There is alot of self analyzing that you have to do but it gives you the tools that you need to do it with.
I would heartily recommend this book for someone that wants to do serious weight loss for life.

This is an excellent book that really explains just how complex obesity really is. It goes into great detail regarding the various physical and emotional reasons for the condition. The author talks about super-confident women (the book is geared to women) who have managed to overcome the odds and lose weight and keep it off. What the book does not do is offer any specific dietary guidelines. Instead she says it is best if each woman works out her own diet, taking her own needs and desires into consideration. She says you need to become a "scientist of your own body" and experiment to find what works and what doesn't for your particular situation. I thought the book was informative. It gives good guidelines about certain medical conditions, what tests you should have etc. but, in the end, it leaves the reader without any real guidance.

Finally! The complete truth about weight loss with no gimmicks, no hype. Sue Ellin Browder is a wonderfully honest investigative journalist with no pet theories to promote,no clinic to fund. She has talked to the world's leading obesity specialists, read the medical literature (more than 4000 studies!), talked to women who've been there (the weight-loss winners), and then written a guidebook any woman can use to achieve a healthy weight for life! This is a book for smart women who want to take charge of their weight and their lives. Rather than giving us a one-size-fits-all prescription (which, as we all know, never works), Browder gives us a list of options that have worked for other women and a bunch of questions you can ask, so you can make your own clear-headed decisions and make the choices that work best for you. I've already lost 12 pounds in three weeks just by becoming the "scientist of my own body" and achieving MY weight, MY way. Take charge. Buy this book. Strong, independent women have been waiting for these answers for years!!!!!

I'm telling everybody I know about this empowering book because it's helped me so much. It's the most refreshingly honest diet book I've ever read. All the studies the author writes about in the book are listed in the notes at the back so you can look them up for yourself and show them to your doctor if you want to. As we all know, it's impossible to take charge of your weight if you don't have all the facts. You begin clutching at straws. This book is called The Power because accurate information is power, and this is the FIRST REPORT telling women about all the new, cutting-edge research coming out of the biggest, most well-equipped fat labs. The most important surprise is how stress makes you fat. The big secret is a stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol opens the unhealthy fat cell doors so the fat can go in. Cortisol can cause you to store more unhealthy fat even when you don't overeat! (That helps explain why I gained nearly 70 pounds when I really DON'T eat that much.) Scientists have now linked high cortisol levels to Depression Fat, Anger Fat, Binge-Eating Fat, Night-Eating Fat, Polycystic Ovary Fat, Lazy Thyroid Fat -- in all to 11 different ways you can gain unhealthy weight. Options. Making your own choices and finding your weight, your way. That's what The Power is all about. Buy this book. It will change your life. I've lost 60 pounds so far. Only 10 more to go!

The author of this excellent book boils down all the latest research about weight. She then includes a bunch of quizzes so you can diagnose yourself, find out what fat type you have, and then figure out how to solve it. The author makes the point (and I agree with her) that most diet books disempower women by giving us ironclad "rules" to follow, even down to telling us precisely which foods to eat. Don't you just hate those little sheets of "the right foods" that doctors hand out. Women aren't stupid. We know the difference between a brownie and an apple. What we don't know is why we feel compelled to eat the brownie instead of the apple. This book tells us WHY WE GAINED WEIGHT and how we can use this information to get thin. A refreshingly honest book that's long overdue. I'm already becoming the scientist of my own body, I've lost 23 pounds in two and a half months -- and this time I'm keeping them off because I have THE POWER. My husband (my best cheerleader) tells me, "You go, Girl!" And I have!!!

Some people go through life never realizing their potential, nor the impact they may have on others. This author has yet, once again displayed his chosen gift for reaching out, embracing and healing us from the inside out. I read this book from cover to cover and felt his sincerity as well as his passion for life with the turn of every page. The "somewhat" humorous approach he takes within his writings give you the incentive to keep reading, even if it's only to see what he will say next. This book is filled with simplicity, encouragement and wisdom. Things in which we all need to become better parents and families. If this author lives his life by the standards he speaks of in this book they are a VERY lucky family!!!!
Thank you Dr. John, for not only being inspirational but for your devotion and persistence to the well being of "our children."
You are wonderfully talented! Thank you again Dr John........

I received this book this January and started using it with my family. We are an extremely busy family with no time. Dr. Mayer's approach is sooooo easy and doable even for my busy family. And most of all he helps us think differently about FOOD and THE WAY WE EAT. YES, he may say things we already know, but it is good to hear from a professional and expert how and why we should do things. The extra little tips and suggestions he gives that you may not think about are great. Many of the things you can get from this book are very subtle changes, but I have found that these are the best and most lasting when you don't even realize you are being helped or changed. My family and family life has changed emensely. Thank you Dr. Mayer.

I bought this book and used the techniques in it. Wow! This not only works, but helped our whole lifestyle. Buy this book for a friend. It's not just about eating well and losing weight, it is about having a happier, healthier family. A must read for every parent.

I am not sure why this book is not on the top seller list, because it is nothing short of amazing! I found this book in a pile of books that was donated to a book drive. I picked it up and thumbed through it. A few things caught my eye, so I sat down and started to read.
As I read, a woman and her three children rushed in, and seeing me with the book, came directly over. She explained that the book was dropped off by mistake, and she wanted it back. And, from what I read, I could see why. I went out and bought a copy for myself. After reading it, I bought copies for several people that I cared about.
I now know several families that have had success loosing weight and keeping it off! Not only did these families make fantastic progress in terms of weight loss, but they also encountered several unexpected surprises. Many delightful changes took place in their personal lives and the overall structure of their families.
This book is written to change the way families treat each other. And, also how each family deals with life and the surrounding world. The bottom line here is that, a healthy family is not a FAT family. It is not the FAT that makes the family unhealthy, but the ways in which they communicate, interact, and respect each other and others!
This book contains a wealth of sound advice on parenting, spousal relationships, single parenting, communication, problem solving, stress management, fun healthy food choices, resolving problems effectively, and so much more. It is well researched and nicely written. It has the power to change lives!
This book reaches down the throat and pulls out the stomach of the eating problem. After experiencing the power of this book, I highly recommend it to and family, or even single person who is still in contact with their family, who is dealing with a weight issue. You won't be sorry you picked it up. As they say, the proof is in the pudding-, which you won't want to eat after reading this book!

A compelling and honest portrait of the effects of addiction on family members and loved ones. Watson's anguish is palpable as she writes of her many failed "plans" to help (or force) her brother to overcome his food addiction. In doing so, she does not attempt to whitewash or gloss over her own insecurities and shortcomings. She shares intimately with the reader and there is a feeling that you really know the author and her brother. Her easy-to-read and self-revealing prose makes the book hard to put down.

What a wonderful rendition of a tragic life experience. CL's amazing writing style catches you at the very first, pulling you through her desparate attempts to save her brother. To read through the whole ordeal from her perspective was at once humourous and heart-wrenching. I believe every person who has loved someone who has lost themselves to addiction, any kind of addiction, needs to read this account if only to understand their own futile attempts to save anyone except themselves. Life can be a harsh teacher, but the gifts we receive if we always choose love are immeasurable. I am truly grateful for CL's story and hope it helps millions of people.

The epidemic of obesity in the developed world threatens to lower life expectancy and add yet more burdens to already strained health care systems around the world. Like many others who don't suffer from weight problems or food issues, I find it hard not to think that people who eat too much and exercise have only themselves to blame, even though it's clear that obesity is, like alcoholism, an addiction, requiring a holistic, multilayered therapeutic response rather than moralizing or finger-wagging.

The pressures and difficulties of food addiction were brought home to me by Eating the Shadow. The book tells the story of author CL Watson's brother, Carter, who turned from being a chubby kid into being a 400-pound invalid, and how his mother, siblings (raised with an alcoholic father), and friends tried to help this man who found it hard to accept his condition or the advice of others.

Ultimately, tragically, they fail, and Carter dies from complications stemming from obesity. In the meantime, however, we get startling, funny, moving and heartfelt insights into a family struggling with the patterns of addiction and denial, and of the power of food and sugar to smother every raw and necessarily painful emotion. Meanwhile, the extended family is forced to deal with the schizophrenia of one of Carter's niece's, another nephew's night terrors, and financial difficulties that bring home the sheer cost (both emotional and financial) that weigh upon a family when there is dysfunction and illness at its heart.

The moral of Eating the Shadow is that it is possible to intervene in the addictive process (whatever that addiction might be) and stop your loved one from dying, but that it has to be done early, and massively, and with total family support. It remains true of this, as everything else, that while the addict must first recognize that they have a problem, their road to recovery cannot be walked in isolation and that, ultimately, it is about us and our relationships with each other rather than our relationship with food.

The amazing thing about this memoir is that it makes you laugh as often as it makes you tear up. Authentic, caring, illuminating, it takes on the problem of the addictive personality and the family frameworks that perpetuate or help end this problem.

This is a delightful, heartwarming book, which reflects and gives courage and energy to all who are struggling with life's common problems.

This is a well written book.. written by a Doctor who is a specialist in the field of weight problems, who has appeared on TV regularly. More importantly she has helped people I know to lose weight and, far more telling, to keep the weight off with a common sense diet plan that works!

This book is written in everyday language for adults and children. In a country with obesity and anorexia so common, it's refreshing to have a down-to-earth explanation of what stresses a teenager (or pre-teen) faces, and a kind approach to working with some of these challenges.

One doesn't suddenly start eating a "perfect diet". We are, at times, fast food consumers, and Dr. Cederquist understands this, and opens your eyes to the healthier choices available at McDonalds, Arbies, Burger King, KFC, etc. She give concrete examples of healthy choices for many items from the grocery store, in selecting cereals, pizza, fish, desserts, lunch meats, potato chips etc., so one doesn't go into withdrawal!

Start, gradually, by following a more balanced diet in a day with less fats and sugars, and portion control. Read the food labels. Learn the calories in foods, with your children, then make healthy choices! Perhaps keep journals on food, often overlooked emotions, excercise, when helpful, and see the progress, and occasional fall backs. If the less healthy food's out of the home, it's not eaten!

When you and your child learn and actually use these facts and hints, it's easier to plan for success, avoid binges, eating out of boredom or from worry, etc., and still enjoy eating, only it's now with a healthier approach.

Today, start long lasting healthier habits, one page at a time, one simple day at a time.

Help your child eat wisely, live longer, (and perhaps get teased less), with this book's easy-to-follow directions.

FearlessBooks.com. - -
The first step in helping an overweight child is not the introduction of a new diet, says Dr. Caroline J. Cederquist, a family physician and national spokesperson on weight management. Instead, �tell your child that she is okay, no matter what she weighs. Say it loud and often. . . . Let [your child] know that children come in many shapes and sizes, and none of them is inherently wrong. Your child is more important than what she weighs!�

Solid emotional support is a crucial foundation, says the author of Helping Your Overweight Child, because the psychological and emotional stresses of obesity can be just as tough on kids as the physiological consequences. That�s why she recommends that kids old enough to write should be urged to start keeping a journal, so that they can become aware of how they may use food inappropriately to deal with stress while they are still young. After all, our excuses and rationalizations get more sophisticated as we grow older!

While providing a concise and basic overview of all the health fundamentals, including a survey of �Nutrition 101� and the obvious arguments for displacing TV-watching with exercise, Dr. Cederquist revisits psychological concerns often � including the dynamics of family communication and suggestions for coping with an overweight child�s tendency to binge or relapse along the path to better health. Along the way she dispenses helpful tips on environmental factors, such as restricting dining areas to a well-kept dining room or kitchen out of earshot of televisions and video games, and serving food from the stovetop in single portions so that second helpings are always farther than an arm�s reach.

And while the author provides about twenty pages of healthy recipes for kid�s favorites prepared in the home, she also faces the modern reality of childhood eats in America by providing complete nutritional breakdowns of all the foods served at junk food palaces like McDonalds, Wendy�s, and Denny�s, as well as standard grocery-store offerings. In each case, she lines up her �better choices� (1 serving of Annie�s Shells and Cheddar: 280 calories, 4 grams of fat) �as compared to� the usual, unhealthier suspects (1 serving of Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese: 300 calories, 10 grams of fat).

At a concise 158 pages, this is a guide that will not overwhelm concerned parents with too much information while providing them with a serious but not overly stern guide to changing childhood eating habits. Since those habits are very likely to be rooted in psychological and environmental factors that influence the whole family, what proves to be healthy for the overweight child will likely benefit his or her siblings and parents as well.

As an academic child and adolescent psychiatrist, studying the problems of weight in children and youth, I have been very frustrated to find limited smart and clear materials for families and practitioners.

Dr. Cederquist has the very rare brilliance to know vast amounts of material and to make it practical and clear.

Good luck to anyone who tries to improve on this work!

Combination Physician, Master Teacher & a Writer like this one come around rarely.

James L, Schaller, MD, MAR, PC, DABPN, DABFM

Helping Your Overweight Child: A Family Guide is a straightforward guide written for parents, to help the family better understand the causes of weight problems in children, basic facts about good nutritional and exercise habits, and serious, practical lifestyle changes that the entire family can make for the improved health of all members. Written by an experienced professional doctor board certified by the American Board Family Practice and the American Board of Bariatric Physicians, Helping Your Overweight Child presents professional expertise for the lay reader not only the form of information, but also in hands-on useful material such as sample sheets for eating and exercising goals, emotion journals, comparisons of nutritional value/fat content in many brand-name food products and kid-friendly nutritional recipies. Helping Your Overweight Child is very highly recommended to conscerned parents and care providers seeking to assist overweight or obese children toward a more age and height appropriate and healthy weight.