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On Thin Ice: The Story and Diary of a Male Anorexic
Standing over six feet tall and just over one hundred pounds, fifteen-year-old Chris Henrie wasn't expected to make it to his next birthday. To his family, however, Chris's physique was merely a part of who he was-nothing more, nothing less. What was thought to be a harmless piece of Chris's identity gradually became a symptom of something entirely new-a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa that was taking control of Chris's life more and more by the day. Trapped by his disorder, Chris struggles to abandon his obsession with food restriction and his quest to maintain the only life he learned to value.
A memoir composed primarily of diary entries written in an eating disorder inpatient hospitalization program, On Thin The Story and Diary of a Male Anorexic narrates the intimate and authentic story of a teenage boy fighting for his life against the tight grip of anorexia. Both a harrowing and perceptive tale of self-discovery, friendship, and the strength of the human spirit, On Thin Ice lends a voice to the millions of individuals around the world who suffer from an eating disorder and grants readers a glimpse into the day-to-day challenges of beginning recovery.
A memoir composed primarily of diary entries written in an eating disorder inpatient hospitalization program, On Thin The Story and Diary of a Male Anorexic narrates the intimate and authentic story of a teenage boy fighting for his life against the tight grip of anorexia. Both a harrowing and perceptive tale of self-discovery, friendship, and the strength of the human spirit, On Thin Ice lends a voice to the millions of individuals around the world who suffer from an eating disorder and grants readers a glimpse into the day-to-day challenges of beginning recovery.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
Paperback
First published January 27, 2022
15 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Chris Henrie
1 book9 followersChris Henrie is a dedicated advocate for eating disorder recovery whose story has garnered attention from major media outlets including Good Morning America, Buzzfeed News, Scholastic Choices Magazine, and Teen Vogue. With a strong social media following exceeding half a million, Henrie has emerged as a leading voice in the field to help represent the male and LGBTQIA+ populations within the recovery community. Beginning activism at just sixteen, Henrie has collaborated with several mental health nonprofits and organizations to advance his work.
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February 27, 2022It’s an important narrative. It’ll make you think about how you approach the subject and also those in your life; I recommend it. It’s very compelling, but I also had to take several breaks just because it’s simultaneously very heavy (hence how long it took to read.)
I don’t particularly want to rate it, because it doesn’t feel appropriate to ‘rate’ what is essentially a personal narrative. I could imagine that for someone suffering from a disorder it could be incredibly triggering, but if you have friends or family members you want to understand, this book may help. On a research level, male narratives on eating disorders and especially inpatient are horribly misunderstood and underrepresented. This is an important step in the field that should be acknowledged as such.
I don’t particularly want to rate it, because it doesn’t feel appropriate to ‘rate’ what is essentially a personal narrative. I could imagine that for someone suffering from a disorder it could be incredibly triggering, but if you have friends or family members you want to understand, this book may help. On a research level, male narratives on eating disorders and especially inpatient are horribly misunderstood and underrepresented. This is an important step in the field that should be acknowledged as such.
March 12, 2022
I absolutely loved this book! It gives such an honest look into what it means to have an Eating Disorder and the journey to seeking treatment. A great read for anyone who wants to know more about EDs, or those supporting someone with one!
February 28, 2022
I read this book during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and it was so important to see the narrative of a young, queer guy who deals with with an eating disorder. I found Chris through his Instagram account where he talks about his thrift store doll collection (among other important things). As Chris made a point of saying, we are severely lacking in narratives of men who have eating disorders. Chris' book was so powerful to me, especially his transparency and self-awareness.
I'm thankful to Chris for putting himself in a place where he can share his experiences and insight. This book was genuinely worth 5 stars. Highly recommend.
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EDIT (02/28/2022): I saw on TikTok that Chris spoke about amending his book, and pulling it from publication temporarily. I'm glad I was able to read the book before it was amended, but I do understand completely (from my own experiences with dealing with an ED) the fact that the book has triggering aspects. Keep that in mind if you're in recovery and read this book unamended it does contain triggering content. Regardless, my review stays the same, I just wanted to add to it.
I'm thankful to Chris for putting himself in a place where he can share his experiences and insight. This book was genuinely worth 5 stars. Highly recommend.
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EDIT (02/28/2022): I saw on TikTok that Chris spoke about amending his book, and pulling it from publication temporarily. I'm glad I was able to read the book before it was amended, but I do understand completely (from my own experiences with dealing with an ED) the fact that the book has triggering aspects. Keep that in mind if you're in recovery and read this book unamended it does contain triggering content. Regardless, my review stays the same, I just wanted to add to it.
February 2, 2022
I bought the ebook of this memoire the moment it got released. We usually do not see the point of a view of a man that deals with anorexia and just seeing this very personal side of it was absolutely beautiful.
This gave the reader an insight on what anorexia is and the way the human brain thinks regarding itself. I'm very proud of the author's book and this was a beautiful memoire
This gave the reader an insight on what anorexia is and the way the human brain thinks regarding itself. I'm very proud of the author's book and this was a beautiful memoire
January 30, 2022
Read in one sitting! So inspiring!
February 27, 2022
I bumped this book to the top of my reading stack because I saw a video on Tik Tok outraged that it had ever been published, stating it's been "pulled" for being too triggering. I'm not sure what that means exactly; it's no longer available to buy on Amazon but seems to be still available from the Publisher.
I think the outrage surrounding this book is laughable, and is only going to elevate it into some god-like anorexia book status which will only make people want to read it more. In all honestly, the author's goal weight (which is supposed to be what is triggering) is the same as 90% of other eating disorder sufferer's goal weight. A nice round number. Big deal.
As the author says "Eating disorders are not a choice by any means, if they were they wouldn't exist" - therefore I hardly thing seeing someone's goal weight written down is going to give people who aren't already psychologically, culturally, environmentally and possibly even genetically already on their way a new inspiration.
As for the book itself, well I was disappointed (sorry Chris) . I was just expecting more from the first memoir I've seen from from a male sufferer; I was expecting to see a different perspective, somehow. But in all honesty this was less raw and in-depth than other similar books I've read (e.g Nikki Graeme's 'Fragile'... RIP) and focussed much more on the day to day happenings on the inpatient unit.
It was, however a nice insight into how unbelievably awful inpatient units are for treatment - with regards to the ridiculous food rules and the quality and variety of food they were given. It did seem like patients receive a decent amount of therapy as an inpatient. But the book finished WAY too soon.. he was out of inpatient care (I won't spoil why) and then suddenly we've skidded down a short slope to seven years later. There were key paragraphs on the difficulty of eating after being in the unit that touched on such important topics and could have been expanded for chapters and chapters and been so useful to many.
In the end the book was hopeful and gives a much needed voice to male sufferers , particularly those who are LGBTQ, which is why it's so disappointing it's been "cancelled".
I think the outrage surrounding this book is laughable, and is only going to elevate it into some god-like anorexia book status which will only make people want to read it more. In all honestly, the author's goal weight (which is supposed to be what is triggering) is the same as 90% of other eating disorder sufferer's goal weight. A nice round number. Big deal.
As the author says "Eating disorders are not a choice by any means, if they were they wouldn't exist" - therefore I hardly thing seeing someone's goal weight written down is going to give people who aren't already psychologically, culturally, environmentally and possibly even genetically already on their way a new inspiration.
As for the book itself, well I was disappointed (sorry Chris) . I was just expecting more from the first memoir I've seen from from a male sufferer; I was expecting to see a different perspective, somehow. But in all honesty this was less raw and in-depth than other similar books I've read (e.g Nikki Graeme's 'Fragile'... RIP) and focussed much more on the day to day happenings on the inpatient unit.
It was, however a nice insight into how unbelievably awful inpatient units are for treatment - with regards to the ridiculous food rules and the quality and variety of food they were given. It did seem like patients receive a decent amount of therapy as an inpatient. But the book finished WAY too soon.. he was out of inpatient care (I won't spoil why) and then suddenly we've skidded down a short slope to seven years later. There were key paragraphs on the difficulty of eating after being in the unit that touched on such important topics and could have been expanded for chapters and chapters and been so useful to many.
In the end the book was hopeful and gives a much needed voice to male sufferers , particularly those who are LGBTQ, which is why it's so disappointing it's been "cancelled".
February 21, 2022
I have many thoughts lol.
The narration's tone is impressively well balanced between "15 year old who is Going Through It" and the more mature influence and reflection of the author current day. Henrie's story isn't ever sensationalized, which can feel rare when media talks about mental health, inpatient treatment, and eating disorders. It feels both honest and reflective. I don't think I've read a book of this genre/topic that nailed tone so well.
I am grateful for the decision to include discussions of domestic abuse, bullying, and being a young LGBTQ+ person during a time of rampant homophobia. Trauma and our environments absolutely play a role in eating disorders/mental illness, and it is important to discuss. Its inclusion in the story continues the author's commitment to spreading awareness of eating disorders as a mental illness before a physical illness. Henrie clearly put a lot of intentional care into these sections and I appreciate it. It also served to the benefit of the overall book, of course.
I usually do not agree with the inclusion of numbers when discussing eating disorders, but I found Henrie's placements relatively unobtrusive and I could understand their function as I continued to read. Maybe I would feel differently if I were a tall man reading this, but I am not!
The story captures the feeling of inpatient adolescent units very well (although I believe Henrie's was not adolescent-specific & a relatively small unit). People's emotions will yo-yo rapidly throughout the day, you bristle with the staff, rules, and insurance, you form very intense friendships very quickly where you know their worst traumas before you learn their favorite color, friend groups form, peak, and then comes the devastating fallout. If you are a long term patient, you feel dispirited watching everyone else come and go before you're ever allowed to go. The unit becomes your whole world and the smallest or pettiest things become everything because no one can emotionally regulate and the staff are... staff lol. Children are denied necessary treatment if their insurance isn't rock strong, they don't have the right BMI, etc. The second you enter, you're driven crazy by the need to leave. You leave, all you want to do is return. How disorienting the return home is and the realization that it's up to you now- especially if you were not set up with outpatient services. It's intense, and Henrie captures the rollercoaster of it all.
The conversation throughout about insurance was so important. Most people don't know just how hard it is to receive care, let alone quality care. Inpatients are meant to meet you at a crisis and then taper you down in levels of service. It is a real disservice to so many children- including Henrie- that our fucked up healthcare system abandons them like this. I entered my first inpatient at 15 (like Henrie) and I remember kids would be told their insurance was up, the kid would say flat out that they could not go home, they'd still be discharged, and then in a matter of 12 hours they'd be back on the unit after doing something dangerous so that their insurance would have pay for them again. I have also seen the pettiness of adult staff prevent the treatment of at risk children, such as (as Henrie mentions in the book,) when hospital networks blacklist you for going AMA, irregardless of your reasons for doing so. The effects of being blacklisted are devastating, especially for children and their families in a point of crisis and confusion who know nothing about how to find services. Our system is disgusting and I hope that this book illuminates some of that for its readers. For so many whom are suffering with eating disorders or mental illnesses at large, their class can be the thing that decides if they live or die. Repulsive.
Lastly, I appreciate the compassion in this book. I hope the author carries that forward in his future life and recovery! I would absolutely recommend this to young adults who are struggling or want to learn more about the topic. It's an important perspective and told in a deliberate, honest, and non-sensationalizing manner. Out with the "Wintergirls", in with the (similarly-frosty) "On Thin Ice"! Haha.
I look forward to the author's next writing venture!
The narration's tone is impressively well balanced between "15 year old who is Going Through It" and the more mature influence and reflection of the author current day. Henrie's story isn't ever sensationalized, which can feel rare when media talks about mental health, inpatient treatment, and eating disorders. It feels both honest and reflective. I don't think I've read a book of this genre/topic that nailed tone so well.
I am grateful for the decision to include discussions of domestic abuse, bullying, and being a young LGBTQ+ person during a time of rampant homophobia. Trauma and our environments absolutely play a role in eating disorders/mental illness, and it is important to discuss. Its inclusion in the story continues the author's commitment to spreading awareness of eating disorders as a mental illness before a physical illness. Henrie clearly put a lot of intentional care into these sections and I appreciate it. It also served to the benefit of the overall book, of course.
I usually do not agree with the inclusion of numbers when discussing eating disorders, but I found Henrie's placements relatively unobtrusive and I could understand their function as I continued to read. Maybe I would feel differently if I were a tall man reading this, but I am not!
The story captures the feeling of inpatient adolescent units very well (although I believe Henrie's was not adolescent-specific & a relatively small unit). People's emotions will yo-yo rapidly throughout the day, you bristle with the staff, rules, and insurance, you form very intense friendships very quickly where you know their worst traumas before you learn their favorite color, friend groups form, peak, and then comes the devastating fallout. If you are a long term patient, you feel dispirited watching everyone else come and go before you're ever allowed to go. The unit becomes your whole world and the smallest or pettiest things become everything because no one can emotionally regulate and the staff are... staff lol. Children are denied necessary treatment if their insurance isn't rock strong, they don't have the right BMI, etc. The second you enter, you're driven crazy by the need to leave. You leave, all you want to do is return. How disorienting the return home is and the realization that it's up to you now- especially if you were not set up with outpatient services. It's intense, and Henrie captures the rollercoaster of it all.
The conversation throughout about insurance was so important. Most people don't know just how hard it is to receive care, let alone quality care. Inpatients are meant to meet you at a crisis and then taper you down in levels of service. It is a real disservice to so many children- including Henrie- that our fucked up healthcare system abandons them like this. I entered my first inpatient at 15 (like Henrie) and I remember kids would be told their insurance was up, the kid would say flat out that they could not go home, they'd still be discharged, and then in a matter of 12 hours they'd be back on the unit after doing something dangerous so that their insurance would have pay for them again. I have also seen the pettiness of adult staff prevent the treatment of at risk children, such as (as Henrie mentions in the book,) when hospital networks blacklist you for going AMA, irregardless of your reasons for doing so. The effects of being blacklisted are devastating, especially for children and their families in a point of crisis and confusion who know nothing about how to find services. Our system is disgusting and I hope that this book illuminates some of that for its readers. For so many whom are suffering with eating disorders or mental illnesses at large, their class can be the thing that decides if they live or die. Repulsive.
Lastly, I appreciate the compassion in this book. I hope the author carries that forward in his future life and recovery! I would absolutely recommend this to young adults who are struggling or want to learn more about the topic. It's an important perspective and told in a deliberate, honest, and non-sensationalizing manner. Out with the "Wintergirls", in with the (similarly-frosty) "On Thin Ice"! Haha.
I look forward to the author's next writing venture!
March 12, 2022
Definitely a must read
I've followed Chris's story since the beginning of when he posted his first eating disorder tag video on YouTube.
Having struggled myself for years, I was glad to see someone else's perspective in a realistic and honest way and I'm thankful that he can give people a view in that isn't seen often: from the male perspective in eating disorders &/or eating disorder recoveries.
One that has struggled or know someone that struggled with an eating disorder should definitely give this a read to see the inside perspective from a group that is often overlooked: male eating disorder patients.
I've followed Chris's story since the beginning of when he posted his first eating disorder tag video on YouTube.
Having struggled myself for years, I was glad to see someone else's perspective in a realistic and honest way and I'm thankful that he can give people a view in that isn't seen often: from the male perspective in eating disorders &/or eating disorder recoveries.
One that has struggled or know someone that struggled with an eating disorder should definitely give this a read to see the inside perspective from a group that is often overlooked: male eating disorder patients.
July 10, 2022
I loved reading about Chris's life through recovery. It brought me great insight. I'm saddened by how much everyone bullied him, and made him feel he needed to change the story. (I got my copy before any of the changes were made)
July 5, 2024
powerful, well written story
I watched your content online and was happy to support you by buying this book. I couldn’t read it for well over a year, maybe two. It was worth the wait, the read, the message. Thanks Chris.
I watched your content online and was happy to support you by buying this book. I couldn’t read it for well over a year, maybe two. It was worth the wait, the read, the message. Thanks Chris.
February 24, 2022
With such a sensitive topic, Chris approaches his story with compassion, honesty and responsibility. Chris brings the reader along, day by day, in a uniquely formatted memoir that really lets readers understand the dynamics of what is going on in the mind of a person with an eating disorder. Sure, pieces of the book can be triggering but the overall pro-recovery theme and message of the book is much stronger. Also, Chris gives a warning about the possible triggers on the very first page of the book, so any negative comment about this book being triggering is of little to no value. "On Thin Ice" is a remarkable and inspiring story for anyone who is struggling or anyone who knows someone who is struggling and wants to better understand the illness.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews