The book I read was Am I THIN Enough Yet? by Sharlene Hesse-Biber. In this book the author writes about the cult of thinness and the commercialization of identity. It talks about how all women, whether they are Black, White, Hispanic, rich, poor, conservative or liberal all have one thing is common- they all want to be thin! Many women even go to extraordinary lengths to become thin, especially by starving themselves. In this book it talks about how American women are obsessed with thinness and how many women and some children suffer from Bulimia and Anorexia. The author Sharlene also talks about the psychological and emotional conflicts women face within themselves and with society. Throughout the book, Sharlene follows many young women and even a few men who face this problem everyday of their lives. Sharlene follows a girl named Janet who is a college student. Janet came into her office one day and was crying because she couldn't lose weight. Janet was an average girl. Her height was 5'8" and she weighed about 130 lbs. The college cheer team didn't even allow any lady who was over 115 lbs. Janet starved herself for days trying to make the cut, however, she just couldn't make it. The author Sharlene talks about how America's society has certain images people should look like. For example: women who want to be "valued" should be thin and men who want to be masculine should be built big and tough. Sharlene also follows a college football star who is beyond excellent at football, however, his height is 5'8" and he is not built huge. With his great talent, he shows that you don't have to be huge or super masculine to be good at a "manly" sport. Although, everyday this guy struggles with his image because society tells him he should look a certain way.
In my opinion
I really enjoyed reading this book. Many times I notice friends, family members (and sometimes myself) who are uncomfortable with themselves because they are not necessarily "thin". I think America thinks too harshly of the images of others. I think people should be happy with themselves and not worry too much about what others think. I liked this book because it showed research about teens and young adults who struggle with body images everyday and the author Sharlene gives solutions to this problem. I recommend reading this book if you, yourself struggle with pressure from the media and society pressuring you to look a certain way.
