This is Big

As a woman who struggles with a complicated relationship with food and exercise I was drawn to this book and interested to find out about Jean Nidetch, the founder of Weight Watchers. I had no idea about her life- I really thought she was going to turn out to be a thin perfectionist who found a way to exploit people desperate for hope and help, taking their money in return for false promises. I was pleasantly surprised to find out about her past struggles and how she used her own personal experience to help others. She was one of the original before and after miracles, loosing the weight and also managing to keep it off for the rest of her life. Meltzer interweaves her own journey with weight and her experience joining Weight Watchers with Jean’s story- one chapter for each- making it a perfect balance of the past and present.

Meltzer brings up so many issues that we all silently grapple with and shows that they are universal- how our parents affect our relationship with food, body positivity and body neutrality, attempting to live up to society's high beauty standards, how we are taught that 'fat' is something that we should be ashamed of. She shrewdly observes that even in the 21st century, society still has problems with food - women say they are following a “clean eating plan" which is a thinly veiled attempt at hiding a real eating disorder, such as orthorexia. Or they say they are cutting out gluten, sugar, alcohol in the name of wellness. Bodies are not allowed to just exist- they must fit the mould shaped by society and this attempt to change our bodies can become a life long obsession.

I really loved this book and will definitely be reading more by Meltzer.

I thought this was a fascinating look at the diet industry, especially the role Weight Watchers and Jean Nidetch have played. If you have read the books like Things No One Tells Fat Girls, Happy Fat and Landwhale, I think you will appreciate this book.