Good girls do swallow by Rachael Oakes-Ash
My request earned me a smile from the man behind the desk. Actually he laughed out loud. Thankfully another librarian came to my rescue and helped me find this truly interesting book. And yes, it’s as fascinating as it sounds.
A witty account of one woman’s battle with the bulge it tells the tale of Rachael Oakes-Ash, an Australian magazine columnist and television presenter obsessed with acquiring the waif like figure of her idol Kate Moss. Leaving behind a trail of frustrated personal trainers, Tim Tam wrappers and Sara Lee goodies, Rachael’s struggle will be familiar to many binge eaters.
She works her way through a series of diets losing 63kg and gaining 76 kg on a roller-coaster of body image problems including anorexia and bulimia. Believing she wasn’t worthy of her dream job, a man, money or friendship unless she was slim and gorgeous, she tortured herself with the latest fad diets and exercise regimes.
The book cleverly intersperses facts and figures about the diet industry as well as making the point that a svelte figure isn’t the solution to life’s problems. There are some nasty moments in the book. The heroine suffered severe setbacks and challenges, but it is beautifully written and the author never takes herself too seriously.
I found it a fun and entertaining book that provided an insight into the importance of self image. Written in the style of Helen Field’s popular Bridget Jones books it is a described as the blackly comic true story of how one woman stopped hating her body.
One thing that puzzles me about this whole eating disorder thing: I don't find Kate Moss's figure remotely attractive. Most other guys I know think she's too skinny too. Where do women get the idea men think that's an ideal figure?
ReplyDeleteI always wonder about that too. Look at Meredith in Grey's Anatomy. She's a stick insect, but Callie is voluptuous. Much more attractive... but I see people say she's fat. How can you win with those attitudes>
ReplyDeleteGood point Michelle. The other problem is that people often have a distorted view of their own body. Think of all the slender people you know who are always complaining how fat they are, when you can't see an ounce of fat on them!
ReplyDeleteIt's cultural, and fashion magazines and Hollywood reinforces (invented?) this concept.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Sri Lanka, we watch a lot of Asian movies (some television as well, but mostly movies.) If you've ever seen a Bollywood movie, you've probably seen a size 14 or 16 woman with a jiggling belly as the major love interest. It doesn't happen sometimes - it happens frequently. Sure, some of the top female actresses are slimmer, but being larger is no sin. Actresses, and actors, too, tend to have bodies that look like everyone else's. Some are fat, some are skinny, some are tall, some are short...
As an outsider looking in, it sure looks to me like body image is a lot better here. (As a side note, I was subject to plenty of condemnation and harrassment when I lived in Canada due to me being overweight. It's never happened here.)
Unfortunately, with the world becoming smaller, American influences are seeping in. There are now concerns about eating disorders in parts of India and the Indian actresses and supermodels are being encouraged to speak up and act against it.
The irony is that most guys don't find skinny women attractive - look at what mad scientist matt says - yet women often think that the skinny model figure is an ideal because they assume men find it attractive.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is wonderful for size 14 or 16 women to be considered attractive and be in starring roles. However we have to be careful not to encourage people to get to either extreme. Too skinny and too fat are both unhealthy
people say that they dont understand the obsession. thats because you have never experienced the effects That having an eating disorder has on you. Its not just about looking thin or loosing weight to get to your goal weight its in your head. Like someone in your ear constantly saying your fta. Or if you eat that youll put on weight then your even further away from your goal and you want to get there dont you. So before you judge people with an eating disorder saying that is a vanity thing dont cos most of the time it has alot deeper meaning than that.
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