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Starving: A Personal Journey Through Anorexia
As a college freshman and tennis player, Christie Pettit decided to lose a little weight. But almost a year later, her obsession with dieting and exercise had turned into full-blown anorexia, jeopardizing her health, her friendships, and her relationship with her family.
Here, through journal entries, personal anecdotes, and Scripture, Pettit reflects on her struggle with eating. She also looks at the less visible battles that are engaged with an eating disorder, including the desire to appear thin on the outside at the expense of emotional and spiritual health.
Women battling eating disorders will find in this book an understanding friend for their journey toward healing.
Pettit's transparent and compelling narrative offers hope for those struggling with anorexia and clear insights about eating disorders for those who love or counsel someone battling their body image.
Here, through journal entries, personal anecdotes, and Scripture, Pettit reflects on her struggle with eating. She also looks at the less visible battles that are engaged with an eating disorder, including the desire to appear thin on the outside at the expense of emotional and spiritual health.
Women battling eating disorders will find in this book an understanding friend for their journey toward healing.
Pettit's transparent and compelling narrative offers hope for those struggling with anorexia and clear insights about eating disorders for those who love or counsel someone battling their body image.
- GenresReligionNonfiction
144 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
3 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 19, 2013
After reading Empty, I had no intention of seeking this out, but it showed up at the local secondhand store, and...I have no willpower when it comes to used books.
Anyway, this answered for me the question of how she got two books out of this, given the limited depth of the writing: she didn't. The copyright page of Empty says that it is a revised edition of Starving -- although, oddly enough, the formatting of Starving is (subjectively) better. Starving doesn't have the odd (would it be fair to call them cult-like?) quotations from other girls/women, but other than that and different changed section names the material is largely unchanged.
Just not very well done.
Anyway, this answered for me the question of how she got two books out of this, given the limited depth of the writing: she didn't. The copyright page of Empty says that it is a revised edition of Starving -- although, oddly enough, the formatting of Starving is (subjectively) better. Starving doesn't have the odd (would it be fair to call them cult-like?) quotations from other girls/women, but other than that and different changed section names the material is largely unchanged.
Just not very well done.
October 5, 2016
Christie wanted to be perfect, skinny, and loved. But she saw herself as fat. she could be dying of starvation and she would still see herself as fat. So she started to starve herself, hoping to become perfect. She soon got too attached to her anorexia. She got worse and she started seeing herself fatter and fatter. She skipped meals, counted calories, anything to become perfect. My favorite part was when she described her feelings almost perfectly to the point that you could see and feel what went on through her mind while she had anorexia the worst. i recommend this to people who like to read personal stories and journeys.
May 14, 2011
To be honest, I couldn't even get through this book. I'm sure just coming off Marya Hornbacher's riveting memoir Wasted doesn't help the situation, but I still can't imagine enjoying this book. The writing feels very flat and uninteresting, and I have to admit that I felt turned off by her constant reference to God. Please don't misunderstand, I don't have anything against religion, but I guess I just found it harder to relate to.
February 1, 2009
bored bored bored
am curious about her other book though
- cant figure out how TWO books can come out of this same experience
am curious about her other book though
- cant figure out how TWO books can come out of this same experience
June 20, 2020
I'm sure the writer is a very talented and amazing woman, but I couldn't get through this. Her constant references to God made me despise the whole book. The author seems extremely obsessed with her religion and her beliefs. Jumping from one unhealthy coping mechanism to another.
October 1, 2012
This was given to me by a friend a few years ago, and since then it has sat on my bookcase among dozens of others I've never picked up.
I recently read Portia de Rossi's Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain regarding her battle with anorexia and I wanted to get a different (and Christian) perspective. This was a great book for what it was aimed to be. It brought her issues with her body and society along with dishonoring God. It helped me to understand the mentality of eating disorders which is the exact purpose I read it. As well, I was able to write notes and find parallels between what Pettit wrote and what de Rossi wrote while dealing with many of the same issues, though Pettit always managed to bring God and Bible verses into the same issues, which I appreciated.
Lastly, it brought in quotes from other books focuses on this same issues. Including Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa, which is also sitting on my bookcase and waiting to be read. So I think was a great transition for me to pick up this next one, which will be slightly more dense and history-based.
I recently read Portia de Rossi's Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain regarding her battle with anorexia and I wanted to get a different (and Christian) perspective. This was a great book for what it was aimed to be. It brought her issues with her body and society along with dishonoring God. It helped me to understand the mentality of eating disorders which is the exact purpose I read it. As well, I was able to write notes and find parallels between what Pettit wrote and what de Rossi wrote while dealing with many of the same issues, though Pettit always managed to bring God and Bible verses into the same issues, which I appreciated.
Lastly, it brought in quotes from other books focuses on this same issues. Including Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa, which is also sitting on my bookcase and waiting to be read. So I think was a great transition for me to pick up this next one, which will be slightly more dense and history-based.
December 11, 2011
Boring and choppy.
July 21, 2015
So amazing....a lot of faith that im jealous of and very inspiring
A must read for those who are struggling and those who know people who struggle
A must read for those who are struggling and those who know people who struggle
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews