Rate this book

The Heavy: A Mother, A Daughter, A Diet--A Memoir (2013)

by Dara-Lynn Weiss(Favorite Author)

3.2 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0345541340 (ISBN13: 9780345541345)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Ballantine Books

review 1: This book was a hard one to review. Growing up with a mom who had weight issues and having them myself, it's hard to separate the book from what issues it triggers in you yourself, which is precisely what Weiss found when trying to control her daughter's diet. Whether you think she's a control freak of a parent who was way out of line, or a concerned parent who handled the situation the best way she knew how, I think the book did a great job at highlighting the problem, which is that no one really knows the best way to tackle obesity and its associated emotional issues, not for adults and especially not for children. So while I might not have handled the situation the same way (and don't have to worry about it since I don't have kids) I can certainly appreciate what she wa... mores up against and her willingness to lay herself bare and subject herself to criticism in order to educate others.
review 2: I chose to read this book because it was on our library's non-fiction book club's reading list, and because it was apparently "controversial". I hadn't previously heard about the Vogue article the author wrote, and the subsequent backlash, but yeah, I guess there is something controversial about putting a 7 year old on a strict, calorie-counting diet. One thing I really did like was the author's honesty. I'm not a parent, so I can't imagine how tough it must be to make the kinds of choices and face the kind of scorn this mother did. I do think that she was truly doing what she felt was best for her child, and it's hard to fault her for that. However, I did find fault with a few other things...one, her excessive use of the word "healthful". Just so repetitive, over and over again, soo obnoxious. I know it's an actual word and all, but what's wrong with the more commonly used word "healthy"? Anyways, that's probably just my personal annoyance BUT more importantly, Weiss doesn't believe in the value of exercise?? Doesn't believe it's helpful for weight loss at all? Seriously?? And yogurt, almonds and salmon are "bad" for you, but 100-calorie cookie snack packs are "good"? The woman, in my opinion, just seemed kind of clueless about health and nutrition in general. I think she did the best she could and ultimately did do right by her child, but I think she could have done a little more research or maybe could have actually stuck with seeing the nutritionist for the full term the family was supposed to, rather than giving up after a few weeks and expecting that you will be able to help your kid as much as an actual DOCTOR. Oh and also, the author went on about her own weight struggles quite a bit. Apparently 115 lbs was "heavy" compared to her ideal 100lbs. While she acknowledged that she was somewhat petite, I'm picturing the mom at about my height, 5'4", maybe a little shorter. My point is, I am 120 lbs and considered to be quite thin, so I am not sure that the mother's anxieties about her own weight were really a health concern unless her goal was to be extremely underweight. Anyways, just my 2 cents :) less

Download links for: The Heavy: A Mother, A Daughter, A Diet--A Memoir

Advertising