FULL: Overcoming our Eating Disorders to Fully Live, by Alayna J. Burke and Melissa L. Kelley, is a well-written book dealing with the hardships of eating disorders and body image and how the cause of the disorder is always much more significant than just not liking your body. The authors of this book tackle the subject starting from their own experiences and perspective.

Burke was a prepubescent 10-year-old living in the era of social media when a doctor first told her that she needed to lay off the snacks, which started her eating disorder. She would soon realize that when she lost weight, the way people talked about her changed, and being a perfectionist, her new goal was as clear as day: stay tiny. Melissa grew up in the 70s, and her eating disorder started as early as 6 years old; looking at herself in her parents’ bedroom mirror and thinking she was big, too big to be able to disappear, which was her coping mechanism in school. After sharing their stories, the authors focus on the fact that an eating disorder or body image issues are never the results of just not being happy or satisfied with our bodies; they are the result of trauma, shame, perfectionism, comparison to others, the glamourization of being sick, addictions, triggers and more.

Burke and Kelley gave a wonderful insight into the struggles of having an eating disorder and shared what they went through, how they overcame their issues, and what they learned along the way. They tackled a subject that is the reality of many people around the world and helped end the stigma of eating disorders by simply explaining that this is a genuine disorder that is not just about how you look. Reading this, I could recognize myself in these women’s stories. As someone who has dealt with and is still dealing with an eating disorder, I always felt that I needed to lose weight to feel better about myself. Still, I just recently realized that I also have a problem with food and that I was never taking care of myself but rather feeding my disorder. Losing weight gave me approval, pride, and attention. That’s me. I’m big. I seemed to take up so much space. These are just some of the quotes I found myself in in the book, and I believe most people who have dealt with eating disorders have resonated. I am incredibly thankful that these authors decided to share their stories. They managed to give a voice where there was silence for a long time.

FULL: Overcoming our Eating Disorders to Fully Live is a profoundly thoughtful self-help book that deals with a topic typically oversimplified in the media. This book does more than shed light on the subject of eating disorders; it offers first-hand experience into the struggles to recover and emphasizes it is a lifelong challenge. I recommend this book to anyone dealing with these or similar issues, that have family or friends struggling with eating disorders, anyone interested in learning, and psychology students. 

Pages: 241 | ASIN : B0BLTB6WG6