Starved: Mercy for Eating Disorders

Mercy For #1

by Nancy Alcorn

The seemingly insignificant desire to lose a few pounds can quickly become a powerful, addictive eating disorder. Maybe youve already tried to escape but failed. Or maybe youre just now willing to admit that you have an eating disorder. Is there any hope for breaking free? Author Nancy Alcorn says yes, you can find hope and freedom if you apply the principles in this book. Nancy combines deep compassion with practical knowledge, insight and guidance from Gods Word. The lives of more than two thousand young women who have experienced the life-changing program of Mercy Ministries, which Nancy founded, are proof that these principles work. Starved will help you learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder, understand how and why eating disorders develop, and know how to break free and stay free. Read the stories of girls just like you, who once had no hope but now live with joy and freedom. There is mercy for eating disorders!

Genres: Nonfiction, Mental Health

85 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this two stars rather than one for one very simple reason: I am not the audience for this book.

Look, I'm not even sure how to review this. It's a very basic volume with one very basic message: the only way to recover from your eating disorder is to give your life over to God/Jesus.

I just...don't know what to do with that. I take no issue with the concept of religion as something helpful, but I find it tremendously problematic that the book views it as a) the complete solution for recovery and b) the ONLY solution for recovery. There is mention, buried deep in the middle of the book and completely skated over, of the fact that there are other really really really important components (therapy! support system! meal plans!), but the book pretty much boils down to "God loves you, so if you don't hurry up and accept Jesus as your saviour and decide to get better, there's just no hope for you."

So here's my unsolicited advice: if religion -- and I don't mean just Alcorn's preferred type of Christianity -- is useful to you in recovery (or aiming for recovery), great. Find a pastor/minister/rabbi/church/mosque/whatever. Read religious texts, talk to God, pray, etc. But religion does not make crap magically disappear. Religion is not a magic button. It is not a therapist/meal plan/safety net/understanding of what went wrong in the first place and how to keep from relapse. This book might give you some starting points from the Christianity-can-be-a-tool-in-recovery perspective, but it does not detail the total cure that it purports to.

Like I said, I'm really not the right audience for this book.

[Heather Racey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly considered not posting this review. It would be the “extra book” I would vaguely refer to later when people asked exactly how many books I read this year. But I think it’s important that I include this book in my reviews because it’s so easy for too many men and women to take sincere, healthy pursuits to image-seeking, goddess-worshipping rampages. 🙋🏼‍♀️ I’m one of them, and then some.

I’ve teetered on the edge of an eating disorder for many years. There are a lot of reasons, none of which I care to share on social media. I’m thankful to God that none of my wanderings has caused lasting physical or mental impairments, but it has proven to be a chase after an “image in the likeness of man” (Rom 1). Nancy Alcorn, founder and president of Mercy Ministries, lays out quite concisely the facts about eating disorders, some brief, social perspectives, then drives home the full depth of the gospel. I was most shocked to learn about the “Pro-Ana” movement and all of its implications. But the author offsets the lies with truth from Scripture quite eloquently. She had a habit of using the Message translation, which is disappointing, but altogether, provided valuable, practical steps for change to young people with eating disorders as well as advice for those who love them. Altogether, a valuable resource.

[Brittani · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some really good practical tips for disordered eating healing, and I really like the comments to parents and loved ones about how to best support people with eating disorders, but some of the psychology feels a bit dated. There are some comments about depression and anxiety that indicated that these disorders could be overcome through determination instead of recognizing that they often need years of counseling and/or chemical treatments.

[Liz Kahle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic intro to eating disorders. I think it would be a good recommendation for someone who is not looking for a heavy list of advice on proper meal planning, healthy exercise regimen, and a complete list of counseling web sites. Its purpose is to point people to Jesus as the only lasting source of holistic healing. It is not a self-help guide in the least but does emphasize the importance of choice. Nancy Alcorn's purpose (I believe) is to focus on addressing the unhealthy cycles those with eating disorders can find themselves in. She believes that if you focus solely on the problem (anorexia, etc) rather than focusing on the source of the healing (Jesus), the cycle will just continue. I'd recommend it to a parent or youth worker or to a person who was so overwhelmed, that giving a honkin' big book on healing would not be wise. It is a good first step in addressing the root cause of the problem - rather than approaching healing through 15 quick and easy steps.