Product Description

Vibrant, vivacious, and gorgeous, Wendy Shanker is a fat girl who has simply had enough—enough of family, friends, co-workers, women’s magazines, even strangers on the street all trying (and failing) to make her thin. Written in Wendy’s wonderfully funny and candid voice, The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life provides thought-provoking insights, statistics, and body-image resources intended to restore a realistic standard of beauty and self-acceptance to the 68 percent of American women who wear a size 12 or larger. The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life invites you to step off the scale and weigh the issues for yourself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #511790 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-02
• Released on: 2005-02-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This send-up of the thin-is-in mentality is funny enough to make even diehard dieters consider replacing their baby carrots with Krispy Kremes. Shanker, one of Us Weekly's Fashion Police commentators and a self-proclaimed fat girl, estimates she's spent 16 years trying to lose weight: "I've met with seven weight loss specialists, worked with three nutritionists and three personal trainers, tried a dozen weight loss programs, taken thousands of pills, joined six gyms, read thirty-one books and spent enough money on weight loss to buy myself an Ivy League degree." Out of this context, Shanker takes on the media, corporate America and even the medical establishment, arguing with their belief that it's impossible to be both fit and fat. "Let's take the focus off 'fat' and put it on health," she lectures. "Let's take the focus off 'skinny' and put it on good common sense. Let's take the focus off body image and put it on education, women's rights, human rights, the economy, baseball cards, anything." Although Shanker's opinions on full-figured fashion and feminist philosophy are entertaining, she's at her best writing about her stint at Duke Diet and Fitness Center, one of the country's oldest and most successful weight management centers. As her optimism about the hardcore Duke University Medical School program flags, her diary of adventures becomes increasingly irreverent, refreshing and human. Anyone who has ever tried to lose a pound will gain confidence and a sense of humor from Shanker's story.
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Review
"This bold, brainy book debunks obesity myths, examines society''s prejudices and tells heavy gals they can be fat, fit and fabulous!" (Us Weekly )

"This frank and funny look at living large in America will resonate with any woman who has obsessed over her body image." (Chicago Sun-Times )

"Jagged little pills of body-image wisdom." (Allure )

".funny enough to make even diehard dieters consider replacing their baby carrots with Krispy Kremes." (Publishers Weekly )

"The Fat Girl''s Guide to Life is chicken soup for the big girl''s soul." (Jennifer Weiner )

"Funny, feminist, fat, friendly, and fierce. It's food, it's fulfilling." (Eve Ensler )

"Put on your seatbelt and enjoy the fun-filled, wacky ride!" (Emme )

"Shanker's humor hits its mark." (Bust magazine )

About the Author
Wendy Shanker is one of Us Weekly’s Fashion Police and was the resident humor columnist for Grace Woman magazine. She’s appeared on Oxygen, Lifetime, VH1, CNN, The View, and The Ricki Lake Show, and has written for Glamour, Self, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and MTV. She lives in New York.