Review of Hungry: A Mother and Daughter Fight Anorexia

Knowing that it would be hard to read, and even harder to write about Lisa and Sheila Himmel's book dealing with anorexia, I still knew that it was something I needed to do.  This subject is a very personal one for me.  I spent many years battling anorexia and continue to struggle with body image issues.  However, because I feel that it is so important for women and girls to be open and honest about the subject, I knew that I needed to read the book and discuss it on my blog.  Too often, I feel like women are afraid to admit that they worry about weight, like it makes us somehow weaker.  Maybe it is because as a mom, we have this need to appear that we have it all together, you know, like we are "super mom."  Admitting to a problem would smudge this image for others.  However, I know that many women battle eating disorders, whether bulimia or anorexia, and one of the roads to recovery is to acknowledge the problem and then seek help.  I am in no means a professional but I do hope to offer encouragement through my blog.  Although I did not find Lisa's book helpful as a recovery tool, it does not seem that the book was intended to serve such a purpose.  However, it is an extremely worthwhile read for any mother, especially one with a daughter, or son for that matter, since eating disorders strike both genders.  It is eye-opening to read the warning signs and to sympathsize with Lisa for missing some of the early ones.  It will definitely help you to keep your eyes open for some of these in your own children.  As a parent, it is so easy to empathize with Lisa and her husband as they try to determine the best course of treatment for their daughter.  I found myself thinking of my own son and the hours I spend wondering if the plan of attack we have chosen is the best possible.  Any parent who has watched their child suffer will relate to the pain that Lisa feels at watching her daughter basically wasting away.  One of the worst feelings is to watch your child suffer and have no tools to do anything to make it better.  This is a hard book to read and definitely not something to tackle if you want something light and fluffy, but it is very worthwhile and unforgettable.