SCPL Online NonFiction Book Club discussion

One of the things that gripped me immediately when I began reading Hunger was the open, vulnerable, no-holds-barred way that Roxane Gay expresses herself. She states that this book is “a confession”. What were your first impressions of the book and of her writing style?

In the opening sections, Gay also states that “stories of bodies like mine are ignored or dismissed or derided” and that when people see a body like hers (which she describes as super morbidly obese) they “make assumptions”. What do you think about this statement? What assumptions do we make as a society about people's bodies? What assumptions have you made? What assumptions do you think people have made about you?

Gay describes her experience attending a weight loss surgery information session with her father. Ultimately, at her highest weight (577 lbs) Gay debates the risks and rewards and decides not to go through with the surgery. What are your thoughts about weight loss surgery? What are your thoughts about body mass index (BMI)?

I feel like the beginning of the book is honest and Roxanne is expressing her truth. Any assumptions I would make of a person who is 577 lbs would be that they must be in a lot of pain to get to that size. I would feel that she must feel very uncomfortable with her extra weight as she describes things she is not able to do- go on rides at an amusement park, go for long walks without being in pain. I feel that eating becomes a sort of habit where if you aren’t mindful, it can become an addiction like anything else. In terms of the BMI weight measurement, I don’t really agree with it , but in reality there has to be some measure of weight. I think no matter how weight is measured , someone in healthcare will disagree with whatever the alternative is. Weight is a very sensitive issue for people and it will bring about strong feelings . The surgery sounds like it would help, but I had a co worker that had the surgery done and had suffered major complications, so now I am more conservative in my thoughts regarding the surgery.

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

Thank you so much for your comments! I think your own assumption that a person who is as big as Gay is at her heaviest "must be in a lot of pain" is a very thoughtful and empathetic one. I also think you make a really good point that she isn't just in pain emotionally, but physically as well. Unfortunately, I do suspect many others could have more insidious or cruel assumptions to make...would you agree? Do you think a book like this has the power to change our perceptions?

I, too, don't really agree with BMI as an accurate measure. I think there are a lot of nuances missed when using those calculations, particularly when we think about muscle mass vs. fat. Weight is definitely a sensitive issue and because of that, I wonder how harmful using BMI can be to determine a "healthy" weight. I read an anecdote recently about a teen girl who was cautioned by her doctor about her BMI almost hitting the overweight mark; however, this was likely only because she was quite fit and had a lot of muscle. I imagine this must feel like a judgement from one's doctor, especially for a young person who is still growing and whose body is still undergoing changes. BMI has been around for a long time and as more people question its validity, I wonder if another measure will take over as a better measure in the future?

Finally, I am so sorry to hear that your coworker suffered major complications from weight loss surgery. I definitely have major reservations about this surgery, particularly after reading about Gay's experience at the clinic. I personally feel like most of what is portrayed in the media is celebrities showing off their "after" bodies and it almost seems like a "quick fix". But Gay's statement on page 8 really struck a chord: she says that weight loss surgery could solve the problem "if we continued to delude ourselves that our bodies were our biggest problem". What do you make of that statement?

Hey, just me playing catch up over here. I found this book fascinating. One that I couldn’t put down. Diana, you commented on Gay’s “open, vulnerable, no-holds-barred” writing style. This is the first piece I have ever read by her but as I progressed in the book I realized this is FAR from the first piece that Gay has written about her struggles. Particularly about her rape. Seeing the book in that light, as a cathartic, “okay, here’s the whole ugly story from beginning to now” really helped me contextualize her style and approach. She’s obviously talked about or around her life story for a long time (ever since she was a teen) so for someone unfamiliar with her work this confessional style was a bit jarring but I feel like it was good for her to write, although probably pretty hard.

Then again, I read a LOT of memoirs. I just finished Chrissy Metz’s “This is Me” and found a lot of similar themes – abuse, weight and self-confidence issues, and dealing with being in the public eye. The difference between the two is that Metz’s memoir reads a lot more like an encouraging self help book whereas Gay’s “this is my story, take it or leave it.”

Soooo many assumptions. I am what Gay calls “Lane Bryant fat” so I recognize some of her struggles but I don’t deal with nearly as much as what she does. I think reading this book has helped me slowly start to change my assumptions from “OMG how do you let yourself get to that size” to “Wow, I wonder what their life story is.”

I agree with Nancy that BMI isn’t a great measurement but there needs to be something. I think it’s a tool that needs to be understood on an individual basis. Not a hard and fast rule. As for surgery, Gay demonstrates that her struggles were largely mental. I feel like you’d need to address those issues before doing something drastic like surgery. I know there are links to other comments she has made in different parts of this. Maybe I’ll change my mind down the road.

Hi there, Heidi!

Thanks so much for joining the discussion. I am glad to hear you found this so compelling, if rather jarring. It was my first Roxane Gay piece as well, so I can definitely relate to being unfamiliar with her style. I think you're right - as difficult as this probably was for her to write, it was probably very cathartic as well.

I also love to read memoirs. As a fan of This is Us, I will have to check out Chrissy Metz's book as well. It sounds like the tone may be quite different. I agree that this book has the power to change assumptions and perhaps allow us to make a greater effort not to "judge a book by its cover" and to realize that there is usually a lot more going on under the surface when someone gets to the "super morbidly obese" size.

I also agree about needing to fix the mental struggles before making a decision as drastic as weight loss surgery. I talked in a later post about finding out Gay did get surgery earlier this year - I truly hope that means that she is in a place where she feels more at peace with all the struggles she has faced.