I've just finished another book! That's three in one month and it's only March! Yippee!
The latest book was 'The Real Me is Thin' by Arabella Weir. I was aware of the comedy actress author in a I'm-sure-I've-seen-her-in-a-few-things sort of a way and hoped that this book would be a down-to-earth yet uplifting take on body image. Unfortunately, it wasn't what I'd hoped for, although I feel that there is a great book in here trying to get out.
'The Real Me is Thin' is an autobiographical account of the author's difficult relationship with food and eating and where her attitudes came from. Full of self-analysis, painful sounding memories and reflection, the book explores one woman's complex attitude to food, eating and body image, with a bit of feminism thrown in for good measure.
This could've been a fantastic book, but it feels a bit half-baked, if you'll pardon the pun. If it had been written in conjunction with a therapist or psychologist, perhaps someone like Pamela Stephenson Connolly, and the author's experiences used as a case study, I think it would've had the potential to help both the author and anyone reading it who has similar complex feelings about food. It sounds like Ms Weir has been through some absolutely horrific experiences, but the book offers no resolution, no hope, and I feel it's slightly depressing and a bit of a missed opportunity as a result. I turned the last page and was left feeling pity and regret that although the author has fully reflected on the subject, she doesn't appear to be ready for the 'next step' of trying to deal with her issues. It's one thing to say it's OK to be a normal size, but it's another to say it's OK to eat whole packets of biscuits in one sitting and admit to feeling bitter that you don't have a different attitude to eating.
If the book had been taken in this direction, been more a journey from biography, analysis and reflection to receiving professional help, looking to the future and hopefully attempting to change bad habits, it would have had a much better structure. As it is, it's a bit hit and miss, as though the author sat down when she had a few spare minutes and just mused on paper/screen about the subject matter. This gives it a nice, accessibly chatty style, but does lead to some less comprehensible sentences. After the initial biographical elements are covered, the book seems to meander about a bit, I think because there is no target, no resolution. There is no clear, overall, positive message, perhaps suggesting that this book was written too soon in the author's personal journey.
On the plus side, it's great to hear someone in the public eye speaking out about the body image issue. The size and shape of the bodies we see in the media is ridiculously limited and we have to remember that these people are a minority and a minority with a particular lifestyle which means they can work to look like that. The rest of us are a bit busy with jobs, kids and lives.
On the whole, I applaud the motivation behind this 'The Real Me is Thin', but would love to see it re-written with some input from a dietary or psychological professional to ground the personal experiences in a broader context. This would hopefully help put things in perspective for readers and naturally lead to pointers on how to change your habits or, if necessary, to seek help. As this book makes very clear, we are not alone and shouldn't be embarrassed by any unusual attitudes we've been brought up with. Equally, though, we shouldn't just accept them if there is a better, healthier way.
