Body Respect

August 18, 2014
Bacon (Health at Every Size) and dietician Aphramor team up to "champion a paradigm shiftâfrom weight to respect" in this passionately argued book. According to the authors, American culture promotes "anti-fat myths that keep people at war with their own bodies" and on perpetual (and ultimately unsuccessful) diet roller coasters. The eye-opening first chapter contends that a number of commonly accepted beliefs are misconceptions, including that being fat is synonymous with poor health. Fatness, Bacon and Aphramor go on to claim, does not lead to decreased longevity, nor is BMI an accurate measure of health. Moreover, the preoccupation with weight has harmful consequences such as self-hatred, eating disorders, and weight discrimination. The authors thus promote an approach to weight that is mindful and kind, emphasizing self-care and social justice (socioeconomic status and job satisfaction are more indicative of longevity than weight, they maintain). While some readers may be initially skeptical, this examination of dieting myths and facts is well reasoned and well documented. Those willing to keep an open mind (and throw away their scale) will no doubt find it a thought-provoking read.