Eating Your Heart Out: The Emotional Meaning of Eating Disorders

by Julia Buckroyd

Faced with the marketed image of the waif-like model, many women have become obsessed with their weight and food has become a secret form of self-punishment. The forms this problem may take are obsessional dieting, compulsive eating, binge and vomiting or anorexia. Aiming the advice directly at the sufferer, this work examines the different problems that may bring about such behavior, enabling the sufferer to understand the emotional meaning behind their eating disorder and begin the journey to recovery.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 1989

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sympathetic and thoughtful book for women who have trouble with eating. The author goes out of her way to point out that the majority of women experience symptoms of disordered eating at some point, even if they do not pass the threshold of seriousness to be considered a clinical eating disorder. She presents a range of case studies and examples to demonstrate the many reasons there are for eating disorders to develop, making it clear that there is no one explanation that fits in every instance. There follow a list of exercises to help those wishing to address their disordered eating and a list of further reading. Although it was first published in 1989, I think ‘Eating Your Heart Out’ has aged well. I was particularly struck by the warmth and kindness of the tone. I definitely recommend it.