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Food and Loathing
Betsy Lerner. Simon & Schuster: 2004 (paperback). ISBN: 074325550X. 290 pages.
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For every woman (or man, let's not be calorie-sexist) out there who has counted calories for so many years that she can tell you today's exact number so far before you finish asking the question, here's a story that will win over your heart-and all your other "problem areas." Betsy Lerner serves up some truly excellent grub on her life thus far, a life that, as far back as she can remember, has been measured in food units, fad diets, secret binges, and size 8 jeans nestling hopefully but reproachfully in the back of her closet. Beginning with her adolescent addiction to Overeaters Anonymous (think about that for a moment - here's a support group that equates "foodism" with alcoholism, and preaches the same total abstinence approach), Lerner explores the deeply shameful, endlessly hungry life of the professional dieter. Laugh if you want, call it crazy, but we found a lot we could relate to in this story of a life in which major events, landmarks, relationships, achievements, vacations, job changes, losses, celebrations, etc., are all evaluated and remembered by a number on a scale, a size on a waistband. While Lerner's account of life in the fat lane contains some very sad, indeed devastating material, this award-winning writer never looses her sense of humor for too long. In other words, this isn't one of those complete downer tales of relentless stuffing and vomiting and suicide attempts - Lerner doesn't spare us these very real patterns, but she's too clever and sharp and funny not to see the black comedy of her obsessions as well.
At the heart of Lerner's memoir is Betsy's long-cherished conviction that almost all of her pain and problems stem entirely from being fat - not of course, from any real emotional suffering that might be feeding her insatiable appetite - again, it might sound crazy to all you ectomorphs and skinnies and hard-bodies out there, but this is a very real and very pervasive emotion. Isn't it something like 60% of our country that's technically obese? Read Lerner's memoir on your own, or with your class or book group; or maybe you'll pair the book with last year's subversive documentary Super Size Me; in any combination, you'll find plenty of very tasty food for thought, both substantial as fiber and orgasmic as frosting.
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