What do you think?
Rate this book
Fat Cow, Fat Chance: The science and psychology of size
'A powerful, poignant tale of dieting and despair.' The Times
'A moving, brutally honest memoir about what it feels like to be fat-shamed.' Mail on Sunday
_______________
At sixty-four, Jenni Murray's weight had become a disability. She avoided the scales, she wore a uniform of baggy black clothes, refused to make connections between her weight and health issues and told herself that she was fat and happy. She was certainly fat. But the happy part was an Oscar-worthy performance. In private she lived with a growing sense of fear and misery that her weight would probably kill her before she made it to seventy.
Interwoven with the science, social history and psychology of weight management, Fat Cow, Fat Chance is a refreshingly honest account of what it's like to be fat when society dictates that skinny is the norm. It asks why we overeat and why, when the weight is finally lost through dieting, do we simply pile the pounds back on again? How do we help young people become comfortable with the way they look? What are the consequences of the obesity epidemic for an already overstretched NHS? And, whilst fat shaming is so often called out, why is it that shouting 'fat cow' at a woman in the street hasn't been included in the list of hate crimes?
Fusing politics, science and personal pain, this is a powerful exploration of our battle with obesity.
_______________
'Agony and confusion, humour and hope. A beautiful book.' Susie Orbach, author of Fat is a Feminist Issue
'A perceptive look at health and happiness.' Sunday Express
'A moving, brutally honest memoir about what it feels like to be fat-shamed.' Mail on Sunday
_______________
At sixty-four, Jenni Murray's weight had become a disability. She avoided the scales, she wore a uniform of baggy black clothes, refused to make connections between her weight and health issues and told herself that she was fat and happy. She was certainly fat. But the happy part was an Oscar-worthy performance. In private she lived with a growing sense of fear and misery that her weight would probably kill her before she made it to seventy.
Interwoven with the science, social history and psychology of weight management, Fat Cow, Fat Chance is a refreshingly honest account of what it's like to be fat when society dictates that skinny is the norm. It asks why we overeat and why, when the weight is finally lost through dieting, do we simply pile the pounds back on again? How do we help young people become comfortable with the way they look? What are the consequences of the obesity epidemic for an already overstretched NHS? And, whilst fat shaming is so often called out, why is it that shouting 'fat cow' at a woman in the street hasn't been included in the list of hate crimes?
Fusing politics, science and personal pain, this is a powerful exploration of our battle with obesity.
_______________
'Agony and confusion, humour and hope. A beautiful book.' Susie Orbach, author of Fat is a Feminist Issue
'A perceptive look at health and happiness.' Sunday Express
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2020
36 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 16, 2020
Fat Cow, Fat Chance is a book addressing the neglected issues of weight and a culture of fat-shamers who, without knowing the circumstances behind someone's weight problems, make a decision to blame said person for the circumstances they find themselves in; I'm here to tell you that isn't always the case. Being fat DOES NOT necessarily mean you sit and binge high fat and sugary foods all day NOR does it mean the person is lazy and has shunned exercise. Many of those who put on weight, as I have, suffer from illnesses that greatly restrict the amount of exercise they can do and some conditions, such as my obstructive sleep apnea, actively make it much more difficult to shed weight. There are also medications that make you pile on the pounds (pregabalin). So next time you see a fat girl (or guy) don't just look and judge. This book is one of the few to address this topic and as someone who feels very strongly about people who judge you based on your looks alone I had to read it.
That said, obesity in the Western world has become an epidemic which must be dealt with and this book gives you a glimpse into the world of someone living every day overweight, their internal struggles with acceptance and the ceaseless quest to be thin. Mixing scientific advice and her personal account we get a rounded view of the subject. I felt for the most part that the research provided was objective and accessible to all written in an eminently readable fashion and you could tell Jenni was emotional about her weight. There were, however, a number of times that I was quite irked by the narrative as the author appeared to have problems accepting herself and others and I felt that was the whole point of the book, in my mind - to remind everyone that it is okay to be fat and happy. The message just got a little garbled along the way. Many thanks to Doubleday for an ARC.
That said, obesity in the Western world has become an epidemic which must be dealt with and this book gives you a glimpse into the world of someone living every day overweight, their internal struggles with acceptance and the ceaseless quest to be thin. Mixing scientific advice and her personal account we get a rounded view of the subject. I felt for the most part that the research provided was objective and accessible to all written in an eminently readable fashion and you could tell Jenni was emotional about her weight. There were, however, a number of times that I was quite irked by the narrative as the author appeared to have problems accepting herself and others and I felt that was the whole point of the book, in my mind - to remind everyone that it is okay to be fat and happy. The message just got a little garbled along the way. Many thanks to Doubleday for an ARC.
February 8, 2021
An interesting read but I felt the author was in denial about why she put weight back on after losing it. You’d think she’d become aware what she was doing wrong and learn from it. I also felt that she blamed her mother and grandmothers for making her clear her plate in her youth, but she wasn’t overweight then, I believe.
December 16, 2021
RIGHT. i’ve done my thinking. and i’ve *certainly* done my ranting (shout out to anyone who’s had to put up with my anger about this book during the reading process) and i think i’m ready to put my frustrations into words.
i’d like to preface this with a trigger/spoiler warning. i’ll be talking about stuff that comes up in the book that may cause upset to people who are struggling with body image, eating issues etc. i won’t be quoting directly or giving examples. but keep that in mind and keep yourself safe <3
it started with me wanting to explore literature on the polemic of dieting and hoping to enlighten myself to some new perspectives on things like social weight stigma and the science of weight. i must disclaim, i had no idea who jenni murray was before i read this book. now that i know, i must not recommend this book on the basis alone that she is a TERF. however there is another - and perhaps a more compelling - reason that i cannot recommend this book to anyone who might relate to the struggles of dieting and body image: this book is completely TONE DEAF.
fat cow, fat chance does not come with a content warning. i know, i know - the whole “the world isn’t responsible for your triggers!” argument. and i did accept that - upon reading this book - i might find some of the content disquieting, particularly due to a history of weight struggles myself. i knew about that risk. what i did NOT prepare myself for, however, was the quite astounding ability of jenni murray to recall exactly what weight she was at every mentionable stage of her life, and to make it known to the reader. she also happens to know the weight of everyone she talks to about dieting. to put it lightly (and believe me, i’m being generous with my words here) i just think it seems ignorant AT BEST to bring so much attention to specific weight statistics when it is fairly common sense that struggles with disordered eating can lead one to become obsessive - if not competitive - about the number on the scale. you would’ve thought that anyone who relates to these issues would at least CONSIDER the nature of these kind of statistics. PARTICULARLY when murray throws around the term ‘eating disorder’ in relation to herself. that was one of my biggest problems with this piece of shit book.
there were other areas in which murray seemed to be ignorant of her own hypocrisy: she says she’s sympathetic to the frustrations of overweight people who feel patronised by having methods of weight loss explained to them. like, when they get spoken to as if they don’t even understand how weight loss metabolically works. most of the time, they know. i’ve experienced this myself. my issue isn’t with her sympathy, it’s with the fact that - despite this - she spends a hefty chunk of time describing in SORDID detail the methods of several diets, including atkins, dukan and 5:2 fasting to name a few.
something people might think about in terms of these sort of fad diets is that they are rarely sustainable. this is certainly true; they all essentially deprive the body of its requirements to function in order to promote fast weight loss. and no sane person would have trouble understanding that immediately reverting to their pre-diet ways of eating after a diet like this would cause them to regain their weight. jenni does not seem to understand this. she tries a myriad of diets, details the changes in her weight, and then seems surprised every single time that she ends up regaining it afterwards. to add insult to injury, lots of these sections of the book are very self-pitying. boo-fucking-hoo. for someone who claims “science” in the subtitle of her book she doesn’t seem to understand the things that she’s preaching.
the last thing i can bring myself to talk about without bursting into rage-induced flames is the ‘fat chance’ section of the book. without reading it, hearing jenni talk about the ‘fat chance’ in her own terms might conjure ideas of self-acceptance, body positivity, body neutrality or other healing processes one might consider partaking in so as to nurture themselves away from the stigma of - god forbid - existing inside a body that deviates from the arbitrary desired ideal. which one does jenni pick? i’ll give you three seconds to guess. ... guessed yet? well, it’s none of them. she uses her contacts to get in touch with a doctor to privately perform gastric bypass surgery. god forbid she joins the nhs waiting list. not only that, but this surgery magically solves all of her problems. granted, she says that she understands that this isn’t the solution for everyone, but that claim doesn’t even make me a shred more sympathetic. she talks about how amazing her life is now - she doesn’t crave anything beyond satiety anymore! good for you jenni. forgive me for not applauding for you.
maybe i’m just being cynical. maybe i should’ve done more research in the field of weight-related literature before going in blind with ‘fat cow, fat chance’. i certainly would’ve had a better time if i did. but if me reading this book and writing this review leads to even one person not making the same mistake i did, then it’ll be worth it.
RIGHT, i think i’ve made myself clear. fuck. i need to take some deep breaths. do yourself a favour and leave this one on the bookshelf guys. it’s not worth a passing glance.
i’d like to preface this with a trigger/spoiler warning. i’ll be talking about stuff that comes up in the book that may cause upset to people who are struggling with body image, eating issues etc. i won’t be quoting directly or giving examples. but keep that in mind and keep yourself safe <3
it started with me wanting to explore literature on the polemic of dieting and hoping to enlighten myself to some new perspectives on things like social weight stigma and the science of weight. i must disclaim, i had no idea who jenni murray was before i read this book. now that i know, i must not recommend this book on the basis alone that she is a TERF. however there is another - and perhaps a more compelling - reason that i cannot recommend this book to anyone who might relate to the struggles of dieting and body image: this book is completely TONE DEAF.
fat cow, fat chance does not come with a content warning. i know, i know - the whole “the world isn’t responsible for your triggers!” argument. and i did accept that - upon reading this book - i might find some of the content disquieting, particularly due to a history of weight struggles myself. i knew about that risk. what i did NOT prepare myself for, however, was the quite astounding ability of jenni murray to recall exactly what weight she was at every mentionable stage of her life, and to make it known to the reader. she also happens to know the weight of everyone she talks to about dieting. to put it lightly (and believe me, i’m being generous with my words here) i just think it seems ignorant AT BEST to bring so much attention to specific weight statistics when it is fairly common sense that struggles with disordered eating can lead one to become obsessive - if not competitive - about the number on the scale. you would’ve thought that anyone who relates to these issues would at least CONSIDER the nature of these kind of statistics. PARTICULARLY when murray throws around the term ‘eating disorder’ in relation to herself. that was one of my biggest problems with this piece of shit book.
there were other areas in which murray seemed to be ignorant of her own hypocrisy: she says she’s sympathetic to the frustrations of overweight people who feel patronised by having methods of weight loss explained to them. like, when they get spoken to as if they don’t even understand how weight loss metabolically works. most of the time, they know. i’ve experienced this myself. my issue isn’t with her sympathy, it’s with the fact that - despite this - she spends a hefty chunk of time describing in SORDID detail the methods of several diets, including atkins, dukan and 5:2 fasting to name a few.
something people might think about in terms of these sort of fad diets is that they are rarely sustainable. this is certainly true; they all essentially deprive the body of its requirements to function in order to promote fast weight loss. and no sane person would have trouble understanding that immediately reverting to their pre-diet ways of eating after a diet like this would cause them to regain their weight. jenni does not seem to understand this. she tries a myriad of diets, details the changes in her weight, and then seems surprised every single time that she ends up regaining it afterwards. to add insult to injury, lots of these sections of the book are very self-pitying. boo-fucking-hoo. for someone who claims “science” in the subtitle of her book she doesn’t seem to understand the things that she’s preaching.
the last thing i can bring myself to talk about without bursting into rage-induced flames is the ‘fat chance’ section of the book. without reading it, hearing jenni talk about the ‘fat chance’ in her own terms might conjure ideas of self-acceptance, body positivity, body neutrality or other healing processes one might consider partaking in so as to nurture themselves away from the stigma of - god forbid - existing inside a body that deviates from the arbitrary desired ideal. which one does jenni pick? i’ll give you three seconds to guess. ... guessed yet? well, it’s none of them. she uses her contacts to get in touch with a doctor to privately perform gastric bypass surgery. god forbid she joins the nhs waiting list. not only that, but this surgery magically solves all of her problems. granted, she says that she understands that this isn’t the solution for everyone, but that claim doesn’t even make me a shred more sympathetic. she talks about how amazing her life is now - she doesn’t crave anything beyond satiety anymore! good for you jenni. forgive me for not applauding for you.
maybe i’m just being cynical. maybe i should’ve done more research in the field of weight-related literature before going in blind with ‘fat cow, fat chance’. i certainly would’ve had a better time if i did. but if me reading this book and writing this review leads to even one person not making the same mistake i did, then it’ll be worth it.
RIGHT, i think i’ve made myself clear. fuck. i need to take some deep breaths. do yourself a favour and leave this one on the bookshelf guys. it’s not worth a passing glance.
August 29, 2020
Sorry, but a little self-indulgent
I decided to buy this book because I read a good review of it, and I have an interest in health and nutrition. I am well aware of who Jenni Murray is, being from more or less the same generation. I'm approaching 61. I enjoy biographies of people who I am familiar with, and I thought it would be interesting to read about her experiences with an aspect of her life which, obviously, caused her significant problems.
I have never had real issues with my weight, although it has steadily increased as I have aged. I have always been a healthy weight, although since I went through the menopause, I have to really control my diet to keep my BMI at around 24. It is a sad fact of life that as women age, we need fewer calories, and maintenance of weight becomes more and more difficult.
I have to admit, I wanted to learn how Jenny's weight had spiralled to such a devastating and unhealthy level, and why she found it so impossible to lose weight and maintain it. As she herself states, she is an educated, professional woman who understood the dangers of carrying that weight, and yet she was unable to control it. Was it a question of willpower, or something else?
After reading the book, I'm afraid to say that, basically, she absolves herself of all responsibility. She blamed her two grandmothers for over- feeding her and providing her with regular treats, her mother for fat shaming her, and leaving her with psychological problems, her depression when living alone in London and commuting home on weekends, and being born with faulty, fat making genes.
I did at times sympathise with her. She doesn't appear to have enjoyed a very happy, supported family life. She more or less left her children to be brought up by her husband, whilst she concentrated on her career, and enjoyed meals and times out with her friends in London. Her parents were ill and needed care, which she struggled with, along with working and trying to support her family, but most of us experience that in our 50s. Yes, we become tired, anxious and depressed but we don't all overeat to compensate.
As I say, I'm of her generation and totally relate to her early childhood and eating practices but, as I progressed through the book, I became more and more exasperated and angry at the excuses. Yes, you lose weight if you diet, but if you revert to over-eating the wrong types of food once you reach your desired goal, then you are going to put the weight back on. That's simple science. You have to change your mindset about food. Yes, it is hard, it requires immense willpower and control, and it means depriving yourself of things that you love and desire. Usually the understanding that you are seriously damaging your health helps you in this regard. Jenni obviously understood this, but that didn't stop her. I wanted to know why, but I don't think she adequately explained that.
I do realise that it's not as simple as perhaps I'm stating, there are lots of underlying, individual reasons why people become morbidly obese. I do think that Jenni was unhappy, and I really do have a great deal of sympathy with her. I was astonished that she had her surgery alone, except for some support from a friend. Husband was working up north, only one son in London, who kindly visited and took her home. Throughout the book, I felt she lacked real family love and support.
The discussion around the science of obesity was interesting, and Jenni obviously felt that these studies helped absolve her from total responsibility for her plight. However, her conclusion angered and disappointed me. She talks about ' naturally slim' people who don't really understand the issues. That angers me, I try to keep slim, but there's nothing 'natural' about it, it's really hard work and I wish I could just give in some times, but I'm aware of the consequences. I also thought that it was very mean spirited of her to deride Lord Lawson for managing to lose his weight through diet and exercise. She decried the practice of abusing people because of their weight and looks all through the book, then comments on how dreadful he looks since losing all that weight naturally.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't the book that I thought it would be. I think that people who buy it in the hope that it will help them with their obesity problems are also going to be disappointed, unless they have £11,000 sitting around that they can use for private surgery.
I decided to buy this book because I read a good review of it, and I have an interest in health and nutrition. I am well aware of who Jenni Murray is, being from more or less the same generation. I'm approaching 61. I enjoy biographies of people who I am familiar with, and I thought it would be interesting to read about her experiences with an aspect of her life which, obviously, caused her significant problems.
I have never had real issues with my weight, although it has steadily increased as I have aged. I have always been a healthy weight, although since I went through the menopause, I have to really control my diet to keep my BMI at around 24. It is a sad fact of life that as women age, we need fewer calories, and maintenance of weight becomes more and more difficult.
I have to admit, I wanted to learn how Jenny's weight had spiralled to such a devastating and unhealthy level, and why she found it so impossible to lose weight and maintain it. As she herself states, she is an educated, professional woman who understood the dangers of carrying that weight, and yet she was unable to control it. Was it a question of willpower, or something else?
After reading the book, I'm afraid to say that, basically, she absolves herself of all responsibility. She blamed her two grandmothers for over- feeding her and providing her with regular treats, her mother for fat shaming her, and leaving her with psychological problems, her depression when living alone in London and commuting home on weekends, and being born with faulty, fat making genes.
I did at times sympathise with her. She doesn't appear to have enjoyed a very happy, supported family life. She more or less left her children to be brought up by her husband, whilst she concentrated on her career, and enjoyed meals and times out with her friends in London. Her parents were ill and needed care, which she struggled with, along with working and trying to support her family, but most of us experience that in our 50s. Yes, we become tired, anxious and depressed but we don't all overeat to compensate.
As I say, I'm of her generation and totally relate to her early childhood and eating practices but, as I progressed through the book, I became more and more exasperated and angry at the excuses. Yes, you lose weight if you diet, but if you revert to over-eating the wrong types of food once you reach your desired goal, then you are going to put the weight back on. That's simple science. You have to change your mindset about food. Yes, it is hard, it requires immense willpower and control, and it means depriving yourself of things that you love and desire. Usually the understanding that you are seriously damaging your health helps you in this regard. Jenni obviously understood this, but that didn't stop her. I wanted to know why, but I don't think she adequately explained that.
I do realise that it's not as simple as perhaps I'm stating, there are lots of underlying, individual reasons why people become morbidly obese. I do think that Jenni was unhappy, and I really do have a great deal of sympathy with her. I was astonished that she had her surgery alone, except for some support from a friend. Husband was working up north, only one son in London, who kindly visited and took her home. Throughout the book, I felt she lacked real family love and support.
The discussion around the science of obesity was interesting, and Jenni obviously felt that these studies helped absolve her from total responsibility for her plight. However, her conclusion angered and disappointed me. She talks about ' naturally slim' people who don't really understand the issues. That angers me, I try to keep slim, but there's nothing 'natural' about it, it's really hard work and I wish I could just give in some times, but I'm aware of the consequences. I also thought that it was very mean spirited of her to deride Lord Lawson for managing to lose his weight through diet and exercise. She decried the practice of abusing people because of their weight and looks all through the book, then comments on how dreadful he looks since losing all that weight naturally.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't the book that I thought it would be. I think that people who buy it in the hope that it will help them with their obesity problems are also going to be disappointed, unless they have £11,000 sitting around that they can use for private surgery.
February 20, 2021
The author really missed the point here. She writes endlessly about her dieting and body issues, but she misses the connection between her behaviour and her weight.
"Eating takeout, drinking wine and mindlessly chomping on junk makes you FAT? WHAT?"
She goes on to blame "diet culture" for her problems and insists that "diets don't work". Except for when she did the low carb Dukan diet. It worked great. Then she went back to eating as she did before.
Of course she gained weight.
Anyway, she gets gastric bypass and that "solves" her problems. Still, it is someone else's fault that she got fat and stayed fat.
"Eating takeout, drinking wine and mindlessly chomping on junk makes you FAT? WHAT?"
She goes on to blame "diet culture" for her problems and insists that "diets don't work". Except for when she did the low carb Dukan diet. It worked great. Then she went back to eating as she did before.
Of course she gained weight.
Anyway, she gets gastric bypass and that "solves" her problems. Still, it is someone else's fault that she got fat and stayed fat.
October 18, 2021
This was an interesting read. Jenni Murray tells of her weight struggles, includes anecdotes from others, their experiences with various diet regimes and some scientific info.
She talks about her thoughts around the increasing obesity issue, it’s burden on the NHS and the possible benefits of gastric surgery.
I was challenged to consider my own thoughts about morbidly obese people. I like to think of myself as open minded and accepting of all minorities. What about this group? My sympathy has gone up a few levels for those who suffer from this illness. Your work was not done in vain, Jenni.
She talks about her thoughts around the increasing obesity issue, it’s burden on the NHS and the possible benefits of gastric surgery.
I was challenged to consider my own thoughts about morbidly obese people. I like to think of myself as open minded and accepting of all minorities. What about this group? My sympathy has gone up a few levels for those who suffer from this illness. Your work was not done in vain, Jenni.
April 8, 2021
Sadly too triggering for me
July 14, 2020
This book is made up of a collection of personal stories and a kind of memoir style narrative from the author combined with scientific facts and figures as well at deep dives into popular diets and weight control methods. I definitely preferred the person stories and more memoir like aspect of the book but the facts and figures backed up some opinions that this writer had as well as some of the diet explorations having personal cross overs.
In terms of coming down on a side as to whether this writer is body positive or trying to help fight the obesity crisis, I would say they are less on the side of body positivity BUT they are definitely not in support of extreme dieting and definitely against aft shaming so this made for an interesting read. I was at points very angry with some of the points made in the book but all of it was definitely food for thought. I come to this book with a lot of experience of the things being explored and written about and so it is natural for me to be defensive of the way I have chosen to live my life.
The diets and weight control methods discussed and explored in this book are definitely all methods and brands that people have heard of and the fact that this writers has lived through most of them means they are definitely coming from a very informed position and I was very prepared to accept their opinion on these weight loss methods given the fact that it was a practical opinion. This writer also discusses other books on being fat and I have read some and am definitely going to be exploring some of the others. There are a few books and movies discussed in this book that have fat characters where the plot points or the endings are given away so be warned that this book does contain spoilers.
Overall I think that this book provides and interesting discussion from a very personal point of view but with a good balance of facts and figures. It definitely generated some emotion in me and in my view the balance of facts and opinions was just about right. I definitely didn't agree with everything that this writer discussed but it spurred me to explore further and also made me think about my own weight loss journey.
In terms of coming down on a side as to whether this writer is body positive or trying to help fight the obesity crisis, I would say they are less on the side of body positivity BUT they are definitely not in support of extreme dieting and definitely against aft shaming so this made for an interesting read. I was at points very angry with some of the points made in the book but all of it was definitely food for thought. I come to this book with a lot of experience of the things being explored and written about and so it is natural for me to be defensive of the way I have chosen to live my life.
The diets and weight control methods discussed and explored in this book are definitely all methods and brands that people have heard of and the fact that this writers has lived through most of them means they are definitely coming from a very informed position and I was very prepared to accept their opinion on these weight loss methods given the fact that it was a practical opinion. This writer also discusses other books on being fat and I have read some and am definitely going to be exploring some of the others. There are a few books and movies discussed in this book that have fat characters where the plot points or the endings are given away so be warned that this book does contain spoilers.
Overall I think that this book provides and interesting discussion from a very personal point of view but with a good balance of facts and figures. It definitely generated some emotion in me and in my view the balance of facts and opinions was just about right. I definitely didn't agree with everything that this writer discussed but it spurred me to explore further and also made me think about my own weight loss journey.
July 2, 2020
Fat Cow, Fat Chance by Dame Jenni Murray is a often sad, sometimes angry exploration of what it has meant to be a fat woman in the UK in the recent past and today. My heart hurt with Jenni as she painfully struggled through an eating disorder, absurd diets and horrible medical issues. I never felt that she truly accepted her own fat body and has only recently come to appreciate it now that surgery has made it less fat and therefore more socially acceptable.
I was hoping to find some embracing and acceptance of every shape of body, but it seems that Jenni still has disgust and fear of obesity. I suppose it’s not surprising, given her experiences, but it’s still disappointing.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.
I was hoping to find some embracing and acceptance of every shape of body, but it seems that Jenni still has disgust and fear of obesity. I suppose it’s not surprising, given her experiences, but it’s still disappointing.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.
August 23, 2020
This book is made up of the personal stories of the author and others she has interviewed about dealing with weight and fat-shaming, mixed in with scientific findings on why some people just can not shift the weight while others can eat whatever, whenever and not gain a pound.
Jenni Murray writes to open eyes on the real struggle some have to lose weight and maintain that loss; with the aim being to end fat-shaming.
I am a larger lass who has tried every diet going, but with a firm belief that I would rather be mentally well adjusted and a good person in general, than obsess about food, and the physicality of a person, like that, ‘s what matters. I have never desired to be thin, but sometimes a little less fat would be nice.
At these times, when the issues other people have with fatness get to me, I have thrown myself into the latest diet and stuck to it like glue. To find, that I can lose a stone fairly quickly. However, I will then only lose a maximum of half a pound a week for the next several months. Agonising over why my hard work and effort equal such a pitiful result.
To obsess and make a diet your life and find such small results gets really hard, and soon, becomes impossible for me to maintain. I then start to slip – and six months of hard slog is quickly undone in two weeks, usually with a bit more weight added on like someone has been charging me interest the entire time I was losing weight.
Before I slip I am often eating so little that I am miserable, as I desperately try to ‘shock’ my body into losing weight.
My mental health and self-esteem deteriorate as I feel more and more like a failure, and the people who were just two weeks ago telling me how amazing I’m doing are looking at me with a knowing glint to their eye.
I’m not one to give into my blues. Before long, I remind myself of what an amazing, beautiful, loving, funny, compassionate, intelligent, passionate person I am. I will not let the issues other people have with fatness affect my happiness.
It was really interesting to read a scientific insight into why so many people get stuck in the same cycle I so often find myself in.
Jenni Murray writes openly and shares the pain of herself and others in a way which is incredibly moving and also wonderfully hopeful.
I recieved an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jenni Murray writes to open eyes on the real struggle some have to lose weight and maintain that loss; with the aim being to end fat-shaming.
I am a larger lass who has tried every diet going, but with a firm belief that I would rather be mentally well adjusted and a good person in general, than obsess about food, and the physicality of a person, like that, ‘s what matters. I have never desired to be thin, but sometimes a little less fat would be nice.
At these times, when the issues other people have with fatness get to me, I have thrown myself into the latest diet and stuck to it like glue. To find, that I can lose a stone fairly quickly. However, I will then only lose a maximum of half a pound a week for the next several months. Agonising over why my hard work and effort equal such a pitiful result.
To obsess and make a diet your life and find such small results gets really hard, and soon, becomes impossible for me to maintain. I then start to slip – and six months of hard slog is quickly undone in two weeks, usually with a bit more weight added on like someone has been charging me interest the entire time I was losing weight.
Before I slip I am often eating so little that I am miserable, as I desperately try to ‘shock’ my body into losing weight.
My mental health and self-esteem deteriorate as I feel more and more like a failure, and the people who were just two weeks ago telling me how amazing I’m doing are looking at me with a knowing glint to their eye.
I’m not one to give into my blues. Before long, I remind myself of what an amazing, beautiful, loving, funny, compassionate, intelligent, passionate person I am. I will not let the issues other people have with fatness affect my happiness.
It was really interesting to read a scientific insight into why so many people get stuck in the same cycle I so often find myself in.
Jenni Murray writes openly and shares the pain of herself and others in a way which is incredibly moving and also wonderfully hopeful.
I recieved an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2020
Jenni Murray is a national treasure, an honest raconteur and, I suspect, a really good friend. She is also brutally truthful here in her assessment of her personal journey with obesity. Murray considers the psychology and physiology of this disease from both a scientific view and also a personal perspective. That's what makes the book so good, this isn't just a celebrity diet memoir, it is also an intelligent and considered appraisal of the history of obesity and the different methods the people have tried in order to manage their weight. It is also a political polemic about the fact that obesity is not always considered a disease, that abuse about 'size' is not considered a crime and that the NHS will not commit to metabolic surgery but would rather spend millions treating the symptoms. I found this book terrific, it is warmly and honestly written but has the research to back it up. Jenni Murray was already a favourite from her work on 'Women's Hour' but deserves to praised for her work here.
August 28, 2020
3.5 stars
This book was a book club choice which is the only reason I read it. It's not a bad book but it does get bogged down in places with lots of scientific jargon - which made it less interesting for me at times. However, most of the stories are interesting and the book, on the whole, is well-written.
This book was a book club choice which is the only reason I read it. It's not a bad book but it does get bogged down in places with lots of scientific jargon - which made it less interesting for me at times. However, most of the stories are interesting and the book, on the whole, is well-written.
October 21, 2022
Absolutely awful book. Shocked to see its categorised as ‘education’ when the entire thing is a biography, in which the author uses it as an opportunity to shame anyone who’s made any choice in regards to weight, and ultimately justify her own decisions. Completely unbalanced and had an opportunity to really explore the complex issues we face in the UK regarding weight and fat shaming.
January 15, 2023
It's tough being fat no doubt. Prevention better than cure...
August 30, 2021
Jenni's book is part memoir, part journalistic interviews, part scientific text book and because of this it spoke to me on many levels. Jenni's relationship with food and family are familiar to me and it was refreshing to read that there us scientific research evidence that proves its not just as simple as 'energy in verus energy out'. Genes play a role. We are all made differently and some of us are destined to feel more hungry or less satisfied than others. I was a bit disappointed that Jenni only found success with surgery, but everyone's journey is different I suppose. The message to take away is "have a little of what you fancy - but know when to stop". Easier said than done.
"I doubt very much that I'm alone in carrying my mother's words with me and feeling every verbal slap in the face no matter how old I get." page 74 - I cried!
"I doubt very much that I'm alone in carrying my mother's words with me and feeling every verbal slap in the face no matter how old I get." page 74 - I cried!
September 26, 2023
I listened to this book. I found it illuminating and frustrating in equal measure. I think Jenni is being very open and honest in the telling of her battles around weight /diets/lifestyle and obvious huge love of food. I dont identify with her in any of these spheres, so her writing assisted my understanding of how life is being shackled into this lifestyle. I found myself being critical /questioning of her decision to pursue her career and live all week away in London leaving two young boys at home, and her way of dining out and take aways which contributed to her immense weight gain. Jenni was also immensely privileged to be mixing in circles who were able to introduce new scientific ideas to her. One consistent theme seemed to be on the few occasions people were directly critical about her weiht she acted!
June 12, 2020
Fat Cow, Fat Chance is Jenni Murray’s personal account of her journey with weight, from childhood to date. It is interwoven with a history of obesity, various diets plans and scientific and medical opinions. This makes it different to most books in this genre and adds gravitas to the book as a whole.
Jenni is a wonderful writer and the sections about her personal journey are heartfelt and full of emotion. Many of her stories made me laugh out loud. The opinions on diets were very interesting with Jenni having tried many of them over the years.
The scientific and medical views were incredibly informative and well presented, easy to understand and well balanced.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jenni is a wonderful writer and the sections about her personal journey are heartfelt and full of emotion. Many of her stories made me laugh out loud. The opinions on diets were very interesting with Jenni having tried many of them over the years.
The scientific and medical views were incredibly informative and well presented, easy to understand and well balanced.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2023
The book started off well and was quite indepth about her family, the food they ate and how she was criticised by her Mother when she gained a bit of weight which then carried on over the years so she actually hated meeting up with her Mum.
Several chapters were given over to other people with weight issues and research that she had done into various diets and healthy eating.
I sympathised with her some times but other times felt she was blaming others for her own issues.
She finally gave in and paid for weight loss surgery (a gastric sleeve) and says she feels a lot better for it but I wonder if she will feel like Anne Diamond, that any pleasure from eating out or socialising has now gone.
Several chapters were given over to other people with weight issues and research that she had done into various diets and healthy eating.
I sympathised with her some times but other times felt she was blaming others for her own issues.
She finally gave in and paid for weight loss surgery (a gastric sleeve) and says she feels a lot better for it but I wonder if she will feel like Anne Diamond, that any pleasure from eating out or socialising has now gone.
July 19, 2020
A first-class piece of work by Jenni Murray. I pre-ordered the audiobook so I could listen to her voice, which I have grown up and well past middle-age hearing!
I suppose you might describe it as part-memoir/autobiography, and part food history. I am about 10 years younger than Jenni is, so a lot of her food memories chimed with mine and I took great comfort in hearing that her mother used to say the same kinds of things to her as mine does to me.
A terrific listen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I suppose you might describe it as part-memoir/autobiography, and part food history. I am about 10 years younger than Jenni is, so a lot of her food memories chimed with mine and I took great comfort in hearing that her mother used to say the same kinds of things to her as mine does to me.
A terrific listen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
January 25, 2025
I learned quite a few things (avoid HFC like the plague and why some people are just biologically designed to stay larger), but overall, I found the presentation quite scattered travelling between memoir and scientific exploration. Also... strange that surgery was opted for when she made mention of the 5:2 successes but admitted to having never tried it. It just reinforces those beliefs that people sometimes haven't "tried everything" before surrendering to far more invasive measures to achieve health. Especially when, even after the surgery, you still need to practice restraint.
January 28, 2021
I found this book boring. It was a biography rather than saying much about dieting.
I love Jenni and I am glad her gastric surgery was easy and life was simple and better for her afterwards; but I didn't want to read her life story and I found the whole thing boring. As an audiobook, it made it slower too.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless they want to read Jenni's specific biography.
I love Jenni and I am glad her gastric surgery was easy and life was simple and better for her afterwards; but I didn't want to read her life story and I found the whole thing boring. As an audiobook, it made it slower too.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless they want to read Jenni's specific biography.
October 25, 2021
Ive seen lots of bad reviews for this book but I enjoyed it. It was easy to read and followed different dieting methods through the lense of the author. Perhaps a negative I would mention is tha5 you have to have a lot of money to go for certain options though anyone who has been dieting for a while probably knows that.
I didn’t like Happy Fat which Jenni Murray referenced but this one is a good read into the lengths a person will go through to slim down.
I didn’t like Happy Fat which Jenni Murray referenced but this one is a good read into the lengths a person will go through to slim down.
June 13, 2020
Jenni Murray has written a brave and honest account of what it's really like to be overweight, with personal experience expertly interwoven with the history and politics of the issue. This is readable and informative..
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2024
Jenni is really likeable and she reads this book well, it was so easy to listen to. I could also relate to the subject matter and felt it was well presented and well balanced. Hers and the other personal stories are quite emotional to listen to, I could completely understand the frustration with the nhs approach to weight loss and Slimming clubs.
February 21, 2022
Loved this! Brilliantly explained, with a humour and a humanity typical of this fabulous lady. Pulling no punches, but sensitively written and giving voice to so many women who are disregarded, insulted and passed over all because of their size.
Read it - we all should.
Read it - we all should.
September 17, 2020
Interesting insight into the author's personal journey with weight.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2021
An interesting read. Sad though. Such a successful woman dominated by her weight problem.
January 21, 2022
Never has a non-fiction book so captivated me and shook me to the core. I saw myself in so many of the author’s stories. I loved it.
December 24, 2022
Such an emotional read. We saw the public side of Jenni but this was the private side - finished this book wishing I could give her a hug!
August 19, 2020
I’ve been a daily listener of Woman’s Hour for years & hugely admire the main presenter Jenni Murray: an intelligent, funny, thoughtful woman, in my opinion the best interviewer in the UK. I was dismayed to hear she’s retiring from Woman’s Hour, but it makes sense for her, after presenting it for 30 years plus.
Jenni Murray has previously written other women-focused books: ‘Memoirs of a not so dutiful daughter’, a book about the menopause (‘Is it me, or is it hot in here’?) & ‘A history of Britain in 21 women’.
Her latest memoir ‘Fat cow, fat chance’ came out in July. It’s a painful, honest account of Murray’s lifelong struggle with obesity. I’ve long been interested in the science & history of weight loss, noticing the pervasive fat-shaming which happens without a second thought, and which is acceptable in a way other types of discrimination are not. The research shows that losing a substantial amount of weight, if someone gets to the point of obesity, is much harder than kicking other bad habits or addictions, including alcohol or drugs. Processed food is everywhere, & an abstinence model simply doesn’t work with food, while it can work with alcohol or drugs.
Murray offers an account of growing up in Yorkshire in a family where food is valued & where lots of time is spent food shopping, cooking & eating. She talks about her relations with the women in her family, some overweight, some not, & how fat shaming & weight anxiety are communicated even in the most well meaning families. She discusses her subsequent life, where despite great professional success & a good family life, she yo yo dieted for decades, experiencing failure after failure, leading her to despair.
Murray looks at the science of obesity, in her case eventually leading her to choose bariatric surgery at age 60+ after accepting she had to find a way to save her health. Despite her misgivings & fears, the surgery helped. The book is convincing & interesting (regardless of what one feels about bariatric surgery), even if it doesn’t contain any new information on the science of obesity.
Thanks to #netgalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jenni Murray has previously written other women-focused books: ‘Memoirs of a not so dutiful daughter’, a book about the menopause (‘Is it me, or is it hot in here’?) & ‘A history of Britain in 21 women’.
Her latest memoir ‘Fat cow, fat chance’ came out in July. It’s a painful, honest account of Murray’s lifelong struggle with obesity. I’ve long been interested in the science & history of weight loss, noticing the pervasive fat-shaming which happens without a second thought, and which is acceptable in a way other types of discrimination are not. The research shows that losing a substantial amount of weight, if someone gets to the point of obesity, is much harder than kicking other bad habits or addictions, including alcohol or drugs. Processed food is everywhere, & an abstinence model simply doesn’t work with food, while it can work with alcohol or drugs.
Murray offers an account of growing up in Yorkshire in a family where food is valued & where lots of time is spent food shopping, cooking & eating. She talks about her relations with the women in her family, some overweight, some not, & how fat shaming & weight anxiety are communicated even in the most well meaning families. She discusses her subsequent life, where despite great professional success & a good family life, she yo yo dieted for decades, experiencing failure after failure, leading her to despair.
Murray looks at the science of obesity, in her case eventually leading her to choose bariatric surgery at age 60+ after accepting she had to find a way to save her health. Despite her misgivings & fears, the surgery helped. The book is convincing & interesting (regardless of what one feels about bariatric surgery), even if it doesn’t contain any new information on the science of obesity.
Thanks to #netgalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews