Over It
   Carol Emery Normandi & Laurelee Roark
  2001 New World Library, Novato, CA USA
   ISBN: 1577311485


Over It: A Teen's Guide to Getting Beyond Obsessions with Food & Weight is a hands-on guide to the behaviors that lead to eating disorders. With exercises, stories & suggestions to steer girls toward self-esteem & a healthy body image, based on workshops & the feedback from hundreds of young women.

The authors write: “This book has been written for teenagers who are struggling with food or weight. If you are not sure whether....your child has an eating disorder or needs professional help, we recommend you seek professional advice...[W]e have listed...resource...organizations that provide free information...including warning signs, intervention...referrals.”

Over It looks at cultural, emotional & physical reasons why girls obsess about weight & eating, then goes on to show how it can be different. Each section guides readers toward understanding their feelings, acknowledging their fears & concerns without judgement & recasting their thoughts & habits toward a healthy self-image & eating patterns.

That said, this is not a dry tome of recriminations, self-flagellations & hopeless stories; rather it is an elegant, lively, informative text book that offers you a lot to occupy your mind & a lot of different ways to look at your life.

In Amber's story you learn how compulsive eating can start; you'll see how Bulimia Nervosa took over her mind & took her off on a dangerous detour. Les' story about Anorexia Nervosa tells how it got a hold of her & wrecked her young life. Carol & Laurelee explain both disorders in clear yet clinical descriptions.

In Telling Your Story you'll be encouraged to really think about what's troubling you & no two stories are exactly alike, so don't worry about being boring because you're not! There are really important reasons why you need to know why you're doing what you're doing & how you got here & there really are exercises & things you can do to start your way to a healthy & happy life.

Who are you really? Not just who your parents, friends, boys & teachers say you are. Who do you think you are? Find out in To Be Aware because it's all about knowing yourself: how you eat & what you are feeling.

Transplantations of hearts & other organs notwithstanding, this body that you're in is the only one you've got so, doesn't it make sense to take care of it? You may not like your body yet it's not stupid & it will send you signals, learn to listen, learn to make friends with it, after all who's the expert on you? Your doctor? Your parents? Your friends? Duh!

Now, let's say that awful word: F A T! How many times a day did I hear that one when I was in my teens - back then we were not allowed to cuss, yet FAT is the most ugly curse any mouth can utter, isn't it? In Emotions Gone Wild I know what Carol & Laurelee mean: when I was feeling fat I felt bad, sad, wrong, scared, bored & just plain stressed to the max. So yes, FAT, said it all. It took me a long time to learn that FAT is not an emotion, it's just a shorthand for all of the above; why I felt that way I had no idea. I sure wish I'd had a copy of Over It back then!

Now, just to tease you - what if Carol & Laurelee were to say that your eating disorder could actually be a good thing? Yeah, right! In the Spirit offers you a look through your mirror into how your eating disorder can actually help you, wake you up; tune you in to your soul's cry for help. Have you any idea what spirituality is really all about? Ok then, check it out.

What does truth have to do with anything? Why is Maggie's story so interesting? How does communicating your reality make a difference? Tell It Like It Is will show you.

So What's Up with Boys and Eating Disorders? & you thought it was just a girl thing! Carol & Laurelee give us some amazing statistics about just how many boys & men also have eating disorders & how they are affected by them. Strange & true, we are not alone!

Just so parents don't feel left out, Over It includes a chapter for them; on how they can support their children in their process, look for warning signals & educate themselves to be better parents. Amazing stuff, really!

Over It has a thorough Resource section of Recommended Reading, Videos, Organizations & Web Sites & there is also a good usable Index which pinpoints important sections.

I recommend Over It most heartily because the more you know the more you know! Even if you think you have no eating disorder, do read Over it, because for sure one of your friends does, right? Find out how invasive & controlling are eating disorders, learn the danger signals & be a friend to your friends. Talk about it, share this book, ask questions & learn. What you learn will save your life & quite possibly the life of your friends.

Carol Emery Normandi MFT, has a private practice in marriage, family & child counseling.
Laurelee Roark, M.A., CCHT, has facilitated support groups, led workshops & lectured about eating disorders.

Together they wrote an adult book on eating disorders: It's Not About Food & founded Beyond Hunger, a nonprofit organization, after recovering from their own eating disorders. Beyond Hunger offers support groups, workshops & education for adults & teen with eating disorders & body image disturbances.

Beyond Hunger, P.O.Box 151148, San Rafael, CA 94915-1148
415-459-2270
www.beyondhunger.org

Do check out my lively Interview with Carol Emery Normandi - I think you'll be amazed!
(04/08/01)

Rebecca