Resources
Suggested Reading
Linda Bacon, Health At Every Size; The Surprising Truth About Your Weight
Extensively researched, easy to read, practical and essential
—Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming it for the Better) Addresses the political, sociological, psychological and biological underpinnings of belonging
Linda Bacon and Lucy Aphramor, Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand
Health at every size, personalized, with a focus on social justice
Hanne Blank, The Unapologetic Fat Girl’s Guide to Exercise and Other Incendiary Acts
For beginner and experienced exercisers
—Fat
Fat as state, as possession, as metaphor, as symptom, as object of desire, intellectual and carnal.
Natalie Boero, Killer Fat: Media, Medicine, and Morals in the American “Obesity Epidemic”
Reviews of various approaches to weigh loss and how they reinforce social control
Susan Bordo, Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body
The links between Western culture’s mind/body dichotomy and the cult of thinness
Heather Brown and Nancy Ellis-Ordway, eds., Weight Bias in Health Education: Critical Perspectives for Pedagogy and Practice
A collection of chapters about the harmful effects of weight stigma in medical care
Harriet Brown, Body of Truth: How Science, History, and Culture Drive Our Obsession with Weight –and What We Can Do About It
Delightful mix of science and social commentary
Paul Campos, The Obesity Myth
Compelling argument that America’s obsession with weight is hazardous to your health
Ragen Chastain, Fat: The Owner’s Manual
“Navigating a thin-obsessed world with your health, happiness and sense of humor intact”
Ragen Chastain (ed), The Politics of Size: Perspectives from the Fat Acceptance Movement
Two volumes covering topics such as activism, physical and mental health, education and athletics
Kaz Cooke, Real Gorgeous
Fun to read information about personal and cultural issues involving food, weight and body image
Joy Cox, Fat Girls in Black Bodies; Creating Communities of Our Own
Combatting fatphobia and racism to reclaim a space for womxn at the intersection of fat and Black
Jeanette DePatie, The Fat Chick Works Out!
“Fitness that’s fun and feasible for folks of all ages, shapes, sizes and abilities!”
Nancy Ellis-Ordway, Thrive At Any Weight: Eating to Nourish Body, Soul and Self Esteem
Why we have anxiety about food and weight, and what we can do about it.
Renee Engeln, Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women
Cultural pressures and how they affect body image and quality of life
Amy Erdman Farrell, Fat Shame: Stigma and the Fat Body in America
Historical analysis of multiple cultural issues regarding body size
Laura Fraser, Losing It
Well researched and written history about the cultural impact of the dieting industry
Rita Freedman, Beauty Bound
——–Body Love
Cultural role of beauty with suggestions for change
Glenn A. Gaesser, Big Fat Lies
Information about weight, health, fitness, and the dangers of dieting
Aubrey Gordon, What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat
Research data, commentary on current culture, information about the harmful effects of weight stigma
Susan Greenhalgh, Fat Talk Nation: The Human Costs of America’s War on Fat
“…the dangers of today’s epidemic of fat talk to individuals and society at large”
Christy Harrison, Anti-Diet
“Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating”
April Michelle Herndon, Fat Blame: How the War on Obesity Victimizes Women and Children
Cultural aspects and how they affect those who are already marginalized by class, race, age and gender
Jane Hirschmann and Carol Munter, Overcoming Overeating
Well written “how to” approach to dealing with binge eating and related problems
—— When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies
Excellent examination of the cultural, social and political pressures on women
Jean Kilbourne, Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel
Thought provoking commentary on the way our lives are affected by marketing.
Gina Kolata, Rethinking Thin
“The New Science of Weight Loss – and the Myths and Realities of Dieting”
Harvey Levenstein, Revolution at the Table
Fascinating history of cultural eating patterns in the United States in the last two centuries
Pat Lyons and Debby Burgard, Great Shape
Fitness guide for large women – how to be fit at any size
Judith Matz and Ellen Frankel, Beyond A Shadow Of A Diet
“The therapist’s guide to treating compulsive eating”
——– The Diet Survivor’s Handbook
“60 Lessons in eating, acceptance and self care”
Alicia Mundy, Dispensing with the Truth: The Victims, the Drug Companies, and the Dramatic Story Behind the Battle Over Fen-Phen
Extensively researched account of misleading marketing to the medical community
Carol Emery Normandi and Laurelee Roark, It’s Not About Food
A guide for giving up obsession with food and dieting behaviors; well written, with specific suggestions and exercises.
J. Eric Oliver, Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind America’s Obesity Epidemic
Our concern with obesity is more about profit and social prejudice than is it about health
Amy Pershing and Chevese Turner, Binge Eating Disorder: The Journey to Recovery and Beyond
Binge eating may be a reasonable coping response for surviving trauma
Esther Rothblum and Sondra Solovay (ed) The Fat Studies Reader
A collection of chapters ranging from health and social inequality to popular culture and embodiment
Jon Robison and Karen Carrier, The Spirit and Science of Holistic Health
An interesting new approach to illness, healing, and wellness using the Health at Every Size paradigm
Abigail Saguy, What’s Wrong with Fat?
A cultural sociologist explores the ways that fatness is defined in current society, and the problems with the current understanding
Ellyn Satter, Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense
Resources for any and all questions about children and eating
Sabrina Strings, Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
Meticulously researched history of Euro-American ideologies toward fat
Sonya Renee Taylor, The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
How to push back against the systems of oppression that make money by making us insecure and how to heal our own injuries in the process
Virgie Tovar, You Have The Right To Remain Fat
An intriguing mix of memoir and astute observations of cultural pressures, with an emphasis on the racial and cultural bias beneath fat phobia
Todd Tucker, The Great Starvation Experiment: Ancel Keyes and the Men Who Starved for Science
Fascinating insight into the people and the process
Sondra Solovay, J.D. Tipping the Scales of Justice
Discrimination, prejudice and legal issues
Marilyn Wann, Fat!So? Because You Don’t Have to Apologize for Your Size
Delightful commentary and encouragement about living large in a fat-phobic society
Anthony Warner, The Angry Chef’s Guide to Spotting Bullsh*t in the World of Food: Bad Science and the Truth About Healthy Eating
—The Truth About Fat: Why Obesity is Not that Simple
A chef with a biochemistry degree thoroughly and humorously debunks diet fads
Richard Wrangham, Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
Eating as described by a biological anthropologist
Helpful links
The Association for Size Diversity and Health
https://asdah.org
Dances With Fat https://danceswithfat.org
Health At Every Size® 101
https://bodyliberationphotos.com/health-at-every-size-haes-101/?fbclid=IwAR0o9XOxA6uTTT4Io8Q8I Jc9e_cDLQgx_m5DhuHTir_abvzYszhKLTAsJfs
The Weight-Inclusive versus Weight-Normative Approach to Health: Evaluating the Evidence for Prioritizing Well-Being over Weight Loss
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobe/2014/983495/
How and why weight stigma drives the obesity ‘epidemic’ and harms health
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-018-1116-5
What is Weight Stigma?
https://christyharrison.com/what-is-weight-stigma
Center for Body Image Research and Policy
https://hes.missouri.edu/center-for-body-image-research-policy/
Dr. NEO
https://www.facebook.com/Dr-NEO-148882385520539
HAES Health sheets – Weight neutral information about numerous health concerns
https://haeshealthsheets.com/
More about health concerns, from a registered dietician
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/15dSypccNhGNyir7a642UZvfgKkHnI196
- The Weight-Inclusive versus Weight-Normative Approach to Health: Evaluating the Evidence for Prioritizing Well-Being over Weight Loss
- Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift
- National Weight Control Registry – Skydiving Without a Chute
- Probability of an Obese Person Attaining Normal Body Weight: Cohort Study Using Electronic Health Records
- Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: diets are not the answer
- All shapes and sizes
- Obesity, health at every size, and public health policy
- The epidemiology of overweight and obesity: Public health crisis or moral panic?
- Obesity: An overblown epidemic?
- The body politic: the relationship between stigma and obesity-associated disease
- Treating obesity seriously: When recommendations for lifestyle change confront biological adaptations
- Morality and health: News media constructions of overweight and eating disorders
- The ineffectiveness and unintended consequences of the public health war on obesity
- If shaming reduced obesity, there would be no fat people
Suggested Reading
Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages
Improving communication in marriage and other relationships, written from a Christian perspective
Louis Cozolino, The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy New understanding of the brain and development
———The Healthy Aging Brain; Sustaining Attachment, Attaining Wisdom Applied brain science information
John Gottman, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work Good points, specific exercises
———–The Heart of Parenting
Relationship skills, by developmental stages
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
Excellent resource for the novice or experienced meditator
Joe Kelly, Dads and Daughters
Helpful information about cultural influences on body image as well as great tips for dads, moms and grandparents
Jerold Kreisman, I Hate You, Don’t Leave Me
A guide to dealing with borderline personality disorder
Harriet Goldhor Lerner, The Dance of Anger
Valuable ideas on dealing with life’s difficulties
Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul
“A guide for cultivating depth and sacredness in everyday life”
Daniel Siegel, MD, Parenting From The Inside Out
Mindful relationship skills, applicable to non-parenting situations as well
Helpful links
Child Development by Age
https://centerforparentingeducation.org/library-of-articles/child-development/child-development-by-age/
Gottman on Parenting
https://www.gottman.com/about/research/parenting/
Gottman on Relationships
https://www.gottman.com/couples/
Child Development Institute
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/#gs.z1fspd
Reasonable expectations for children
https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/behavioral/manage-your-behavior-expectations/
Age by Age Guide for What to Expect From Kids & Teens
https://www.heysigmund.com/developmental-stage/
Age appropriate expectations
https://penfieldbuildingblocks.org/personal-perspectives/why-age-appropriate-expectations-are-important/
Suggested Reading, Eating Disorders
Linda Bacon, Health At Every Size; The Surprising Truth About Your Weight
Extensively researched, easy to read, practical and essential
Frances Berg, Women Afraid to Eat
———Children and Teens Afraid To Eat
Thoroughly researched and documented information about how adequate nutrition is compromised by dieting and preoccupation with slenderness on and individual and cultural level.
Harriet Brown, Body of Truth: How Science, History, and Culture Drive Our Obsession with Weight–and What We Can Do About It
Delightful mix of science and social commentary
Kaz Cooke, Real Gorgeous
Funny, delightful to read, packed with information about personal and cultural issues involving food, weight and body image, plus suggestions for change
Carolyn Costin, The Eating Disorder Sourcebook; A Comprehensive Guide to the Causes, Treatments, and Prevention of Eating Disorders
Overview of information, primarily related to bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Well written and easy to read, it includes chapters on several special topics
Nancy Ellis-Ordway, Thrive At Any Weight: Eating to Nourish Body, Soul and Self Esteem
Why we have anxiety about food and weight, and what we can do about it.
Renee Engeln, Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women
Cultural pressures and how they affect body image and quality of life
Jennifer Gaudiani, Sick Enough
Excellent review of the medical complications of all of the eating disorders, including binge eating disorder and atypical anorexia
Susan Greenhalgh, Fat Talk Nation: The Human Costs of America’s War on Fat
“…the dangers of today’s epidemic of fat talk to individuals and society at large”
Jane Hirschmann and Lela Zaphiropoulos, Are You Hungry?
Guide for parents to help children learn healthy eating habits
Joe Kelly, Dads and Daughters
Helpful information about cultural influences on body image as well as great tips for dads
Kirkpatrick and Caldwell, Eating Disorders: Everything You Need To Know
Concise information on a number of related topics
Lauren Mulheim, When Your Teen Has An Eating Disorder
How to implement Family Based Treatment in the home, with lots of resources
Ellyn Satter, Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family
——- Your Child’s Weight: Helping Without Harming
——-Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense
Helpful, practical guides for parents
Jenni Schaefer with Thom Rutledge, Life Without Ed
First person account of recovering from an eating disorder based on thinking of the disorder as an abusive husband
Helpful links
The Ellyn Satter Institute
https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org
The Feeding Doctor
http://thefeedingdoctor.com
Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment for Eating Disorders
https://www.feast-ed.org/