When Girls Feel Fat: Helping Girls Through Adolescence

by Sandra Susan Friedman

For most girls, it's impossible to grow up without ever "feeling fat." Even for very young girls, it is common to express the ups and downs of life in terms of body image - translating real events into the language of fat, repressing feelings and losing one's sense of self.

Therapist Sandra Susan Friedman explains how to hear what girls really mean when they say they "feel fat" and provides parents, teachers and caregivers with practical ways to help girls navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence. This friendly guide covers:

Puberty and sexuality Food and weight Body image Parents and friends. When Girls Feel Fat provides clear and proven strategies to deal with conflict, to recognize when "worries about weight" may lead to more serious problems, to maintain a connection when girls "tune out" and to deal with "the grungies" -- Friedman's term for the voice of self-deprecating, negative feelings. When Girls Feel Fat will help parents and mentors guide girls into becoming healthy, confident women.

230 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2000

Reviews

[Emelie]

I'm really surprised at the 3 star rating of this book. I thought this was an incredible resource- even though I'm not the target audience, just a health care paraprofessional. I found the insights into society really enlightening and uncomfortable- after all, this book taught me new things about the world I grew up in, and helped me even realize how my childhood & current culture influence how I feel.

There are a few gripes about this book, but not enough for me to knock a star off. It is very concentric on the US, which I expected, but it's also focused on able-bodied girls with little mention to girls with disability. I suspect that topic needs a book in and of itself. And, while this might be my bias, I grew up with a different experience from some of the examples mentioned in the book- not a lot of friends, overweight and bullied in elementary school, didn't really fit in. It would be interesting to read about how to help girls like that in middle school and high school so they're set for college. But, again, as far as the majority goes, this is helpful. And like I mentioned, though I didn't have much of a stereotypical childhood, I still found truth in the pages regarding my adolescence.

I can't comment on how this book holds up for WoC, as I am not one and acknowledge that I'm nowhere near knowledgeable enough to speak up, so if there are WoC who have read this book and want to offer opinions- I am all ears!

Overall, though, I really think this is a great book. I recommend it and saved a lot of the resources to my "want to read" list. Hopefully there will be a new edition soon, since this one is about 17 years old!

[Jeni]

Sexist and a bit smarmy. not well thought out.