An Alternate Selection of the Book of the Month Club and Quality Paperback Book Club

“Although it reads like a novel—a funny, touching, and absolutely gripping novel—Stick Figure is, astonishingly, the diary of Lori Gottlieb in 1978, when, at age 11 and all evidence to the contrary, she decided she was too fat and simply stopped eating…”
—Boston Globe

Growing up in Beverly Hills in the 1970s, Lori Gottlieb learned the lessons her culture had to teach her—for example, that “no one could ever like a girl with thunder thighs.” Lori took those lessons seriously, and saw her world fall slowly apart as she developed a fierce reluctance to eat—winding up hospitalized when her “diet” took over her life. Fortunately, she recorded the journey in her diary, and her story is funny, slyly insightful, and surprisingly universal. A Los Angeles Times bestseller, Lori’s story is being made into a motion picture film by Martin Scorsese’s company, Carpo Productions.

Dying to Be Thin helps those struggling with bulimia transform their time, energy, and relationship with their family. After battling for over twenty years with bulimia, Noelle Gilbert has overcome the mental and physical struggle caused by living with an eating disorder. She is now able to devote her time to a life of freedom and enjoyment with her children. In Dying to Be Thin, Noelle offers those struggling with bulimia the unconventional strategies that will help them regain power and strength over bulimia. Dying to Be Thin reveals: Raw accounts of the mental and physical bondage one lives with daily due to bulimia Why conventional treatments may not have worked Strategies to stop the binge/purge cycle Methods to heal the entire body in order to free up mental space How to recognize power and strength in overcoming bulimia

For those with children who suffer from chronic health conditions like sensory conditions, ADD or ADHD, depression, anxiety, asthma, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, arthritis, respiratory conditions, poor digestion, food allergies, obesity, or developmental learning disorders, The Clean-Eating Kid reveals how all of those conditions may share the same root: inflammatory eating. Jenny Carr, health coach and international best-selling author of Peace of Cake: The Secret To An Anti-Inflammatory Diet shows parents, grandparents, and pediatricians how replacing inflammatory foods with alternatives that kids (or kids at heart) love is the single most effective way to begin reversing chronic symptoms. Jenny has designed a streamlined approach to anti-inflammatory eating for children by focusing on one simple food group: processed sugar. In The Clean-Eating Kid, Jenny outlines the steps to allow children to experience natural, health-based fat loss, stop cravings in their tracks, help children find their own motivation for eating an anti-inflammatory diet, and navigate events like holidays and birthday parties. The Clean-Eating Kid also includes over 30 grocery store food swaps for cake mixes, cookies, breads, pizza, and more and guides readers to making anti-inflammatory eating a movement for the whole family.

This guided journal includes inspirational quotes and prompts for individuals in recovery from eating disorders. With soulful artwork by the late Mary Anne Ritter "Ritteroo" who suffered from anorexia nervosa while conceiving of this project, this four-color workbook combines textual and graphic inspiration with plenty of space for writing. Written by eating-disorders expert Lindsey Hall, the text is organized into six categories for self-exploration: relationships, thoughts, feelings, heart, body, and recovery.

Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder: The New Maudsley Skills-Based Training Manual provides a framework for carer skills workshops which can be used by anyone working with these conditions. Based on the successful New Maudsley Model, which equips carers with the knowledge and skills needed to support those with an eating disorder, the book consists of two sections which will help facilitators to deliver skills workshops to carers. The first section provides the theoretical background, while the second uses exercises to bring the New Maudsley Model to life. The skills workshops provide a much-needed lifeline, giving carers an opportunity to meet in a safe, non-judgemental and confidential environment, and to learn to recognise that changes in their own responses can be highly beneficial. With session-by-session guidelines and handouts for participants, Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder: The New Maudsley Skills-Based Training Manual will be of aid to anyone working with someone coping with these conditions.

This workbook teaches how to heal emotional wounds without burying them in food and weight obsessions. Get comfortable with the seven most difficult feelings: guilt, shame, helplessness, anxiety, disappointment, confusion and loneliness. A strong and healthy person will emerge with this soul-healing workbook, enhancing your eating and your life. An extraordinary, powerful connection exists between feeling and feeding that, if damaged, may lead to one relying on food for emotional support, rather than seeking authentic happiness. This unique workbook takes on the seven emotions that plague problem eaters - guilt, shame, helplessness, anxiety, disappointment, confusion, and loneliness - and shows readers how to embrace and learn from their feelings. Written with honesty and humor, the book explains how to identify and label a specific emotion, the function of that emotion, and why the emotion drives food and eating problems. Each chapter has two sets of exercises: experiential exercises that relate to emotions and eating, and questionnaires that provoke thinking about and understanding feelings and their purpose. Supplemental pages help readers identify emotions and chart emotional development. The final part of the workbook focuses on strategies for disconnecting feeling from food, discovering emotional triggers, and

Civil Commitment in the Treatment of Eating Disorders presents a comprehensive view on the use of involuntary hospitalization in the treatment of patients with anorexia and other eating disorders. This volume synthesizes the existing empirical data and ethical perspectives surrounding this sometimes controversial approach to treatment in order to establish a balanced, compassionate understanding of current research and patient experiences. Particular attention is paid to the use and misuse of persuasion and coercion in civil commitment and to when these concepts are applicable. This accessible new volume prepares treatment providers to understand the role of civil commitment in their treatment practices and in patients' recovery.

Eating disorders are potentially life-threatening psychiatric illnesses commonly accompanied by serious medical problems. They typically appear during adolescence or early adulthood, a time when young people are heading to college or interviewing for a first job. Many people recover fully from eating disorders, but others become chronically ill, and symptoms can continue into middle age and beyond. Written by leading authorities in eating disorders research and treatment, Eating Disorders: What Everyone Needs to Know answers common questions about eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, as well as a newly described condition, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Practical yet authoritative, the book defines the eating disorders, explains what we know about them based on the latest science, and describes how treatment works. Importantly, the book dispels common myths about eating disorders, such as the notion that they occur only amongst the affluent, that they affect only girls and women, or that they simply result from environmental factors such as the fashion industry and society's obsession with thinness. In reality, as the book explains, there is substantial evidence that eating disorders are brain-based illnesses that do not discriminate, and that they have been around for a very long time. Eating Disorders: What Everyone Needs to Know is essential reading for those seeking authoritative and current information about these often misunderstood illnesses.

Ecotourism and natural resource extraction may be seen as contradictory pursuits, yet in reality they often take place side by side, sometimes even supported by the same institutions. Existing academic and policy literatures generally overlook the phenomenon of ecotourism in areas concurrently affected by extraction industries, but such a scenario is in fact increasingly common in resource-rich developing nations. This edited volume conceptualises and empirically analyses the 'ecotourism-extraction nexus' within the context of broader rural and livelihood changes in the places where these activities occur. The volume's central premise is that these seemingly contradictory activities are empirically and conceptually more alike than often imagined, and that they share common ground in ethnographic lived experiences in rural settings and broader political economic structures of power and control. The book offers theoretical reflections on why ecotourism and natural resource extraction are systematically decoupled, and epistemologically and analytically re-links them through ethnographic case studies drawing on research from around the world. It should be of interest to students and professionals engaged in the disciplines of geography, anthropology and development studies.

In Goodbye Comfort Food, Robin Rae Morris shares an upbeat, engaging, and proven process to help women eat to nourish their bodies and enjoy life without using food as comfort. This guide is for women who are successful-at academics, professional goals, and social situations-yet for reasons unknown cannot stop overeating, particularly using food as comfort. A diet-free life sounds like a pipe dream and regretting overeating is a regular pattern after dealing with stress. The good news is: there is a different way to enjoy life. Goodbye Comfort Food takes women through seven practices that give them practical tools for daily use along with mindset changes that allow them to be successful at freeing themselves from overeating. Robin Rae Morris's combination of tools plus mindset-minus any focus on diets-gives women a new way of looking at long-term eating issues and solving them by paying attention to nourishing both their bodies and their lives.

Getting Better Bite by Bite is an essential, authoritative and evidence-based self-help programmethat has been used by bulimia sufferersfor over 20 years. This new edition maintains the essence of the original book, while updating its content for today's readers, drawing on the latest knowledge of the biology and psychology of bulimia and its treatment. The book provides step-by-step guidance for change based on solid research. The use of everyday language, stimulating contemporary case study story-telling and evocative illustrations in Bite by Bite provide encouragement, hope and new perspectives for all readers. This handy-sized book fills a need for easy-to-understand information about Bulimia Nervosa, a serious and prevalent eating disorder. Ulrike Schmidt and Janet Treasure are world-renowned researchers and authorities on eating disorders, and June Alexander, a former sufferer of anorexia and bulimia, is a respected writer and internationally-known eating disorder awareness advocate. Getting Better Bite by Bite is a valuable resource - for sufferers, for their families, and for the health professionals and carers treating them.

Growing up as a fat girl, Virgie Tovar believed that her body was something to be fixed. But after two decades of dieting and constant guilt, she was over it―and gave herself the freedom to trust her own body again. Ever since, she’s been helping others to do the same. Tovar is hungry for a world where bodies are valued equally, food is free from moral judgment, and you can jiggle through life with respect. In concise and candid language, she delves into unlearning fatphobia, dismantling sexist notions of fashion, and how to reject diet culture’s greatest lie: that fat people need to wait before beginning their best lives.

When an eating disorder (ED) is involved, the problems caused by miscommunication can have serious consequences. A remark from a parent that is intended as positive encouragement could act as a trigger and a criticism from someone with an ED might really be a cry for help. This book aims to improve communication between someone with an eating disorder and their friends and family by revealing the eating disorder mind set and decoding language choices. Using examples of real-life, everyday conversations, ED says U said translates the highly charged language of anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder and unravels the emotional chaos that can surround sufferers and those who care for them. It provides clear examples of the common pitfalls and gives invaluable advice about how to help in defusing the triggers and regaining the personality swamped by the illness. A unique resource of information on EDs, this book will be essential reading for everyone who has been affected by eating disorders: sufferers, carers, family and friends, together with health care professionals treating people with eating disorders.

'The book is immensely reassuring to any parent who has experienced at first hand the problems that a young boy already caught up in the maelstrom of adolescence can both experience and cause when anorexia arrives. Any parent or carer concerned about a boy who may be developing or has already developed an eating disorder will find this book useful and supportive even when it is talking about the most difficult problems that affect sufferers and their families' -" Signpost

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This is a detailed observational account of severe Anorexia Nervosa in a boy, and the effect on his family. It documents their emotional and torturous journey through treatment back to full health. The descriptions of the disorder are written without jargon and with great accuracy. The book is packed with practical tips on how to manage everyday situations. This is truly a book that adolescents, their families, and clinicians should read' - " Dr David Firth, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

"'Boys don t get anorexia' is a phrase that any parent who is concerned about a son who is losing too much weight or exercising excessively will hear at some time or other. Well, boys DO get eating disorders and in this very personal and insightful book, Jenny Langley looks at what it means to have a son who does in fact have anorexia. Jenny writes about the way in which the disorder crept up on her family and then seemed to take over the household. The slow painful climb of her] son back to recovery is recounted in uncomfortable detail. Ultimately however this is a story of hope. Joe does recover eventually and although life is by no means the same as before, it does return to a new normality' - "From the foreword by Steve Bloomfield, Eating Disorders Association

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Eating disorders are usually associated with females but there are an increasing number of males affected by anorexia and bulimia. Often there is a link between male eating disorders and athletic prowess, and the quest for physical perfection can result in damaging behaviours associated with diet, supplements and exercise.

This unique and important book combines a mine of information with a readable and engaging case study. The author was shocked and horrified when her son developed anorexia at the age of twelve. Having a research background, she naturally turned her attention to finding out as much as she could about how best to combat this terrifying illness. Her son is now fully recovered and has supported this book that not only describes their experiences, but also provides a practical guide on how to cope with male eating disorders.

A much needed resource for other parents in similar situations, the book will also be of interest to people working in health centres, clinics and hospitals. It will also be invaluable for youth support groups, teachers and sports coaching staff, who are often the first to be aware of concerns about eating disorders in young men.

Jenny is a Chartered Accountant who worked in the pharmaceutical industry for many years. Latterly she has also worked in the Financial Services Industry (for six years) as a pharmaceutical and healthcare analyst and salesperson. She is a member of the Eating Disorder Association and a volunteer member of their Self Help Network."

'I Never Said I Love You is one of the most electric, enchanting, engrossing and energising memoirs of self-harm, self-loathing, grief, eating disorders, suicide - and sex - that you will read.' The Sunday Times 'Indecently entertaining... one of the most uplifting and eccentric memoirs I have ever read.' Observer 'Brutally honest and relentlessly funny.' Adam Kay, author of 'This is Going to Hurt' 'A brilliant memoir full of gasp-inducing honesty about depression and family and taking control of your own pain. Funny, sad, hopeful, I Never Said I Loved You is an irresistible, strangely empowering read.' Matt Haig 'This mind-blowingly wonderful memoir had me convulsing with laughter even while my heart was breaking. It's utterly effing BEAUTIFUL.' Marian Keyes 'I found myself blindsided by this extraordinary book ... I was deeply moved by its capacity both to depict pain, and offer consolation. I loved it, and won't ever forget it.' Sarah Perry 'Both touching and funny' the Telegraph On an unlikely backpacking trip, Rhik and his mother find themselves speaking openly for the first time in years. Afterwards, the depression that has weighed down on Rhik begins to loosen its grip for a moment - so he seizes the opportunity: to own it, to understand it, and to find out where it came from. Through this begins a journey of investigation, healing and recovery. Along the way Rhik learns some shocking truths about his family, and realizes that, in turn, he will need to confront the secrets he has long buried. But through this, he triumphs over his fears and brings his depression into the light. I Never Said I Loved You is the story of how Rhik learned to let go, and then keep going. With unique humour and honesty, he has created a powerfully rich, funny and poignant exploration of the light and dark in all of us. A vital, moving and darkly funny memoir by a powerful new voice in non-fiction. 'Both unputdownable and beautifully-written, bracing and consoling. A book that tackles mental health and the darkest things with razor-sharp wit and mordant laughs aplenty ... read this.' Sharlene Teo 'Touching, funny, wildly readable ... Look out for it.' Sathnam Sanghera 'No one writes better, or more sweetly, about how it feels to feel. Even the darkest times are shot through with glorious, bright beams of wit.' Janet Ellis 'It's honest and funny (and beautifully painful and brutal at times), but also - oh goodness - it's so elegant. The writing is graceful and kind, even when it hurts a little to remember it's a memoir.' Joanna Cannon 'Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. What an absolutely riveting read.' Nikita Gill 'Heartbreaking, funny, raw, brave and - yes! - even better than the egg thing.' Erin Kelly 'I have always loved Rhik Samadder's writing. And now there's a whole book!' Jessie Burton 'A sparkling, thoughtful memoir. It manages to be witty, charming, brooding and devastating all the same time.' Justin Myers, The Guyliner

Increasingly boys and men are suffering with eating disorders and related body image problems. Some have full-blown conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating, compulsive exercising or bigorexia. Others are distressed by slightly lesser degrees of disordered eating or over-exercise and seek ways of overcoming their problems. The Invisible Man applies the latest research to produce a practical, problem-focused self-help manual for men with eating disorders and body image problems. Divided into four sections, this evidence-based survival kit covers: the wider cultural context of male body image problems features unique to men science fact and science fiction a 7 stage approach to treatment. By combining the science of cognitive behaviour therapy with motivational enhancement and problem-solving therapies, The Invisible Man provides help to all men with body image disorders, as well as families and professionals involved in their care.

Civil Commitment in the Treatment of Eating Disorders presents a comprehensive view on the use of involuntary hospitalization in the treatment of patients with anorexia and other eating disorders. This volume synthesizes the existing empirical data and ethical perspectives surrounding this sometimes controversial approach to treatment in order to establish a balanced, compassionate understanding of current research and patient experiences. Particular attention is paid to the use and misuse of persuasion and coercion in civil commitment and to when these concepts are applicable. This accessible new volume prepares treatment providers to understand the role of civil commitment in their treatment practices and in patients' recovery.

Isn't it time you got off the diet treadmill? In The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook, physician Carolyn Coker Ross offers the proven-effective Anchor Program (TM) to help you curb cravings, end body dissatisfaction, manage stress and emotions without food, and truly satisfy your soul. If you're struggling with obesity or food addiction, you've probably been told that you must deprive yourself of certain foods in order to lose weight. You may have also been convinced-by the media and by our culture-that if you finally become thin your life will be better, you'll be happier, and your suffering will come to an end. The problem is-it's not all about the food. It's about how food is used to self-soothe, to numb ourselves against the pain of living or to cope with stress and unresolved emotions. Even as your waist whittles away, the problems that caused your food addiction won't disappear. The Anchor Program (TM) approach detailed in this workbook is not about dieting. It's about being anchored to your true, authentic self. When you find your unique anchor, you will relate better to your body, you will know intuitively how to feed your body, and you will reach the weight that's right for you. Anyone who's been on the diet treadmill-losing and regaining lost weight-will admit that losing weight doesn't instantly bring health or happiness. That's because losing weight is a red herring for the real issue, the misuse of food to solve a problem that has nothing to do with food. This book offers a whole-person approach that blends practical information on managing stress and regulating emotions without relying on food. If you're ready to uncover the true cause of your food addiction, you'll finally be able to embrace a balanced diet and reach the weight that's right for you.

In the middle of a paralyzing panic attack, 34-year-old Holly Pennebaker made the call that would ultimately save her life. She realized that her eating disorder had consumed her life for the previous 15 years and made the decision to get help and enter a rigorous treatment program. Holly documented the 19-day program in real time, writing about it in an authentic, raw form. This memoir chronicles the author's experience with disordered eating, anxiety and other mental illness from the onSet of her major panic attack through the weeks following her completion of the treatment program. By candidly recounting her own journey, Holly explores struggle, hope and self-acceptance.

'I'm just a nitwit girl who's sort-of stumbling through life learning that we all have our own roads to walk - but that it's still valuable, and rather lovely, to hear about other people's journeys . . . ' Growing up in an online age, becoming an internet sensation with half a million followers on her YouTube Channel, Irish girl Melanie Murphy's journey has been far from ordinary. Here, in her first book, she shares the ups and downs of her life. From dealing with online bullying, to living with anxiety and eating disorders to coping with acne and coming to terms with her sexuality, Melanie shows us how through difficult times we can learn the most about ourselves. And that, by learning to value and love ourselves, we can overcome whatever life throws at us.

'A moving read - honest, funny and sad' Woman and Home 'wonderful, moving, humorous ... extremely poignant' Charlie Mortimer, Dear Lupin 'Iain's love for his son shines through every sentence of this affecting account, as does his guilt. He blames himself for being unable to demonstrate or verbalise his affection ... This is a wonderfully entertaining and moving book, with lessons for every parent.' Daily Mail 'Raising the issue of men's mental health is important ... loving and well meant mix of letters and commentary.' Express Dear Michael, Moving your whatnots et al into the flat has put paid to any improvements in my back. Still, at least it's done now. Your mother is already worrying how you'll cope and is at work on reams of notes on all sorts of matters from how to tel if meat has gone off to washing whites. Smell it and wear black is my advice. When Iain Maitland's eldest son left home for university he wrote regularly to him: funny, curmudgeonly letters chronicling their family life and giving Michael unsolicited advice on everything from car maintenance to women. He never expected a reply. What Iain didn't realise was that away from home his beloved boy was suffering from depression and anorexia. Only much later did it become apparent to Iain and his wife just how oblivious they had been, and for how long. Told through Iain's letters and the unfolding truth of Michael's situation, Dear Michael, Love Dad is a frank and moving account of how we may unwittingly fail our loved ones, despite our best intentions. Above all it offers the hope of reparation and expresses the unbreakable bond between a father and son.

'Beautiful and heart-rending . . . I could smell Africa on every page' - A. A. Gill Caroline Jones was born in Ethiopia and spent most of her childhood in East Africa. She read French and Spanish at Oxford University and went on to make documentaries for the BBC. Now aged 39, she is happily married with two children. Yet beneath this seemingly perfect public exterior, Caroline was in fact privately indulging in a pattern of destructive behaviour that left her exhausted, anxious, depressed and full of self-loathing - from the ages of 17 to 31, for 14 years, Caroline was suffering from an extremely widespread yet comparatively little-talked about mental illness - bulimia. Caroline is articulate, intelligent, insightful and frank about her experiences, interweaving the journey of her illness with memories of her African childhood, her time at Oxford, her work for the BBC, her family and other relationships, making for a warm and engaging memoir. Her perceptive, retrospective approach to her illness allows her to transcend the topic of bulimia and talk more generally about self-destructive behaviour - there are lessons here which will speak to a little part of everyone.