Anguish, guilt, anger, fear, and hopelessness are words often used by mothers who suffer alongside a daughter with an eating disorder. Mothers care for the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of their children, but who cares for them? Cathy Robinson watched her daughter starve herself until she was near death. The resulting helplessness was almost too much for a mother to bear. Making matters worse was the feeling that she was utterly alone in her guilt and pain. She needed others to identify with and help her through this difficult time. "A Melody of Hope: Surviving Your Daughter's Eating Disorder" features inspirational true stories written by mothers of daughters who have recovered from eating disorders; they seek to provide encouragement, hope, and support to mothers beginning their journey. Told with breathtaking honesty and insight, these stories represent some of the many experiences shared by these mothers. For a mother coming to terms with her daughter's illness, these stories represent a welcome community of understanding. "There are very few books that feature families, and fewer still recounting success stories. Far too many are stories written about the tragedy a family experiences when a family member dies as a result of the disorder, not about the much larger community that experiences success. Hope is what people need during those periods when it seems the disorder will never be overcome, and hope is what this book offers." -Bryan Gusdal, MA, Program founder/director, Westwind Eating Disorder Recovery Centre, Brandon, Manitoba

Childhood obesity in the United States has tripled in a generation. But while debates continue over the content of school lunches and the dangers of fast food, we are just beginning to recognize the full extent of the long-term physical, psychological, and social problems that overweight children will endure throughout their lives. Most dramatically, children today have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, something never before seen in the course of human history. They will face more chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes that will further burden our healthcare system. Here, authors Jacob Warren and K. Bryant Smalley examine the full effects of childhood obesity and offer the provocative message that being overweight in youth is not a disease but the result of poor lifestyle choices. Theirs is a clarion call for parents to have "the talk" with their kids, which medical professionals say is a harder topic to address than sex or drugs. Urgent, timely, and authoritative, "Always the Fat Kid" delivers a message our society can no longer ignore.

The Obsession is a deeply committed and beautifully written analysis of our society's increasing demand that women be thin. It offers a careful, thought provoking discussion of the reasons men have encouraged this obsession and women have embraced it. It is a book about women's efforts to become thin rather than to accept the natural dimensions of their bodies--a book about the meaning of food and its rejection.

Grace King was an only child brought up by her mother, a single parent. She had a normal childhood and was always a high achiever with a positive attitude. But without her father's acceptance and love, underlying feelings of rejection, inadequacy, and guilt engulfed her. Her great-grandmother died, and Grace had her heart broken by her first love; guilt, regret, and self-hatred soon set the foundation for her to fall victim to the vicious grip of bulimia.

For more than ten years, she struggled to free herself from bulimia's hold and became lonely, depressed, and desperate. After years of self-destruction, disappointment, and regret, her conscience collapsed, and she longed for her healthy and meaningful life back more than ever. Grace was forever grateful for the friendships she forged and for the relationships she endured, knowing how much they had taught her about the meaning and purpose of life. She was always hopeful that one day, looking in the mirror would bring back the feeling of acceptance and happiness to a now repulsed, sad, and lost soul.

She embarked on a transformational journey that depended on the choices she made each day. Her heart was filled with endless hope, courage, and commitment to searching for the solution toward knowing herself again and being true to herself. Through prayer, she found the path that led her to the light and allowed herself to be cured.

It was through surrendering her bulimia to God, she learnt to love and forgive herself and she finally embraced her healing. She is a survivor and hopes her story will help save other lives too.

Contents:
PART ONE General Issues. The Eating Disorders - An Historical Perspective. Critical Issues in the Developmental Psychopathology of Eating Disorders. Parenting and Family Factors in Eating Problems. Sexual Abuse and the Eating Disorders. PART TWO Anorexia Nervosa - Definition, Diagnostic Criteria, and Associated Psychological Problems. Theories of Etiology: Methods of Treatment. PART THREE Bulimia Nervosa - Definition, Diagnostic Criteria, and Associated Psychological Problems. Medical Complications. Methods of Treatment. PART FOUR Obesity - Definition, Diagnostic Criteria, and Associated Health Problems. Socio-Cultural Perspectives - Methods of Treatment.