Society has an unhealthy focus on weight. Fashion magazines feature rail thin models and it seems like every celebrity has a fad diet that “worked for them” (yeah sure, give me unlimited time to work out and a private chef that cooks to order and I could probably look like that too!).

The pendulum seems to be swinging the other way, however, with clinically obese models now gracing the SI Swimsuit edition. Don’t get me wrong, it takes courage and I love the pride they have in themselves, but promoting an unhealthy look is wrong regardless of whether it is too skinny or too fat.

Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers dissects this abnormal focus on weight through the experiences of Daphne and Alice (and a few other women) who sign up for a reality show that is ostensibly to help them better themselves and therefore learn how to lose weight in a healthy manner. Healthy mind/healthy body and all that jazz. Unfortunately, the program is anything but healthy.

As always, no plot spoilers here. But it is definitely a book worth reading. I appreciated the contrasting family lives of Daphne and Alice, as they served to enhance the message that no matter what someone looks like on the outside, they are probably dealing with their own issues.

There were some parts that didn’t ring true to me, however. First, there were the descriptions of the women who were overweight. For example, near the beginning, Daphne weighs in at 192.08 at 5’4″. Yes, this is obese, but the sizing seemed off. Claiming that she is wearing an 18 does not seem accurate. A person who is 5’6″ and 220 generally wears a 16. Now, I know that weight is distributed differently, but it still seemed odd.

Second, I was disappointed that there was not more to the reality show/documentary plot line. It could have been a major theme, but once it (semi-)resolved itself, it seemed to be more of a mechanism to cause friction between Alice and her husband than anything else. And that didn’t have enough follow through.

In fact, the last third of the book seemed to completely switch focus. Once the women were back with their families, the whole reason for them coming together became part of the background. I appreciated that we got to see the reality of the struggle of weight loss, but I didn’t care for the sole focus on the two women – only because the whole concept of the documentary was so good, and could have carried through to the end.

I also wish there had been a little bit more closure to each of the women’s stories. The other women who were in the documentary were essentially faceless by halfway through the book, and there could have been a great counterpoint between all of them if they had remained essential characters.

Overall, however, it is an extremely sharp commentary on how women perceive themselves and how they think society perceives them. There were some good lessons to be had, and I think it would be an informative read for anyone who has ever had even the slightest worry about her weight.

Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This unflinching look at how women perceive themselves in the face of excessive weight gain is sometimes difficult to read. The author hits the nail on the head when it comes to the focus that society has on “being skinny.” I appreciated the overall message that people need to love who they are whatever weight they may be, but I wish there had been a little more focus on the “being healthy” aspect. I also wanted a better resolution to the women’s experience in Vermont. I felt that the author let that plot point go in order to focus on the self-realization of the individuals, and the end felt a rushed. There were too many times that inner dialogues stopped the action. For some more thoughts on this, visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to Atria Books (via NetGalley) for a pre-release digital ARC.

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