The Elephant in the Room
In Friday Links last week, I mentioned this story: The Weight I Carry: What it’s like to be too big in America. It's a beautifully written, poignant piece.What was particularly moving about the article, for me, is that it made obesity into a very personal thing. As someone who has always been on the thin side (6'1", 140 in high school, 160-165 for the last 25 years), even though that's required substantial adjustments in how I eat over the years, it's always been very difficult for me to identify or empathize with someone who's obese.
This article, for the first time, connected with me very deeply.
As it turns out, what I read was an excerpt from a book that came out yesterday: The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America. It came out yesterday, and I read it yesterday.
The book is just as well-written as the article, and penetrates even more deeply.
Even more surprising: I recognized myself at times. Some of the behaviors and habits I've struggled with for years. I used to think I didn't have anything in common with people who were obese, but that's not true. There are universal behaviors that we all struggle with, no matter what we weigh.
Here's an Amazon link: The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America.
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