Self-Esteem Comes in All Sizes: How to Be Happy and Healthy at Your Natural Weight, Revised Edition
Author: Carol A. Johnson, Gary Foster, Gary D. Foster, M.A., Carol A. Johnson
List Price: $14.95
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ISBN: 0936077379
Publisher: Gurze Books (09 June, 2001)
Sales Rank: 214,511
Average Customer Rating: 4.43 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Being happy is an important part of being healthy
_Self-Esteem Comes In All Sizes_ is one of my favorite self-help books of all time. In fact, I've gone back and read it more than once. For those who think this might be a book about "giving up on yourself," be aware that there's nothing here that says we shouldn't take care of our health, enhance our looks, or be aware of what we eat; quite the contrary, it's all about how to have a healthy--and happy--lifestyle, including normal eating and exercise. The author reminds us, however, that in our current culture, being fat isn't regarded simply as a health or even an aesthetic problem, it's viewed as "sin." To compare weight with other health issues, she asks, "Would I have let the number that represents my blood pressure dictate my worthiness as a person?"
In response to the way women beat ourselves up about our appearance and use our feelings about how we look as a reason for self-hatred and emotional paralysis, Johnson urges us to remember that "your beauty also comes from your zest for life, your fun-loving spirit, a smile that lights up your face, your compassion for others..." Many women's lives are so consumed by their obession with weight that they put their lives on hold. "The anxiety it breeds fills the mind to overflowing and washes away any ambition that is not related to losing weight."
She points out that one of the foremost authorities on eating disorders, Hilde Bruch, said, "There is a great deal of talk about the weakness and self-indulgence of overweight people who eat 'too much.' Very little is said about the selfishness and self-indulgence involved in a life which makes one's appareance the center of all values."
_Self-Esteem Comes In All Sizes_ emphasizes that we need to be proud of our differences. She wonders "why should a tulip aspire to be a rose?" and one of the members of her Largely Positive support groups reminds us: "God made both St. Bernards and Chihuahas."
This is a book that encourages its readers to commend themselves for their good health decisions every day, and think of each positive step as a "bonus" rather than focusing on our deficits.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Self Esteem DOES come in all sizes
I read Carol Johnson's book a long time ago, before it's revision and it truly changed my mind about myself. While I am not obese, I have weight issues that I have dealt with since my first diet at age 12. I think that some of the other customer reviewers have missed the point of the book. I don't believe that Carol Johnson ever denied that healthy eating and exercise are a very big part of being healthy. What she does emphasize is that even those who eat healthy foods in reasonable portions and who exercise to their best ability may not fit into what one reviewer called "normal" status. "Normal" is one of those words that some people use to keep prejudice going. What is normal anyway? There certainly isn't one definition for that word, because what you feel is normal is different from what I feel. That's because we are viewing it with a subjective rather than objective eye. Self esteem is vital to success; whether it be in school, business or your personal life. I believe that Carol Johnsons' book supports self esteem for all people, regardless of their size. And that is the point, my friends. Thin people are not necessarily better or smarter than heavy people; the so-called "experts" out there would just like us to believe that it is so.
Rating: 5 out of 5
A life changing book!
I put off buying this book for a long time for whatever reason, but am so glad i finally did! This is a life-changing book. For those of us who struggle with weight and everything that goes with it, this book is for us. It reminds us that there is more to life than what size we are and has some really good resources of where to find clothing, shoes, etc. I highly recommend this book. It is right up there with Hirschman and Munter's book, Overcoming Overeating and When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies. This is a keeper! Similar Products
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