The Real Me Is Thin

by Arabella Weir

The hapless and hilarious tale of a life lived under the constant and ruthless reign of a chocolate biscuit…Lumped into 'the too fat for potatoes group' by her mother, carefree eating isn't something Arabella Weir had much experience of growing up.Written with startling frankness, Arabella unravels her own eating history in this humorous appraisal of our attitudes towards eating disorders and obesity. Not easy for someone who still can't be alone unsupervised in a room with a packet of chocolate biscuits.Charting Arabella's neurotic relationship with food, from prolonged abstinence to binge eating, this humorous memoir recreates a childhood besieged with battles over food. Subjected to her mother's capricious feeding regime and taught early on that food was her enemy, happiness meant being allowed to eat what she liked - or more importantly what everyone else was eating.Recounting stories of unhinged mothers and callous doctors, mystery-meat suppers, and egg custard battles with calculating boyfriends' mothers, this candid memoir vividly recreates a childhood and adolescence marred by the social embarrassment of being marked as different simply due to your weight.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook

227 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2010

About the author

Arabella Weir is a Scottish comedian, actress and writer. She played roles in the comedy series The Fast Show and Posh Nosh, and has written several books, including Does My Bum Look Big in This? Weir has also written for The Independent and The Guardian and the latter's Weekend magazine. In 2006, she voiced an alternative third incarnation of the Doctor for Big Finish's Unbound audio range.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, it really did cover womens relationships to food and eating in general. It was so true in places that I was asking myself the question of whether I myself could have written this!

Arabella works through her relationship with food from childhood right up to the modern day, often telling her story in a funny, jokey type way which I think alot of overweight people adopt. Behind this though is a sense of pain which at the time must have been mortifying.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever had or has issues with their weight - it won't tell you what to do but does let you know that there are kindred spirits out there.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Admittedly I’m not the target audience for this book: ‘for every woman who thinks she’s fat’. But I enjoyed Arabella in Posh Nosh (of which there is no mention!) Two Doors Down, and I saw her one woman tour.

It reads as though she has a huge chip on her shoulder and moans relentlessly and repetitively without real substance. There are a few amusing anecdotes (fizzy lentils and eating faux pas) but on the whole little to really sink your teeth into. I found myself skimming towards the end.

[Hannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoewel het maar een dun boek is, heb ik er toch lang over gedaan. Dat komt omdat ik het begin niet echt leuk vond. Uiteindelijk heb ik toch doorgezet en het boek wordt gaandeweg beter. In het begin gaat het boek vooral over haar jeugd en haar opvoeding. Van haar ouders mocht ze bepaalde dingen niet eten, omdat ze in hun ogen te dik was. Ze is best kritisch over haar ouders en ik kan me voorstellen dat die het niet leuk vinden hoe ze beschreven worden. Ik weet niet of haar ouders nog leefden toen dit boek verscheen. Als ik Arabella Weir was, zou ik in ieder geval verwacht hebben tot ze overleden zijn. Later gaat het boek meer over haar eigen gevecht met eten en over hoe de maatschappij tegen overgewicht aankijkt. Dat deel is een stuk interessanter. Toch snap ik wel dat ze ook over haar jeugd heeft geschreven, want daar is al de basis gelegd over hoe ze in haar latere leven omgaat met eten. Hoewel het een serieus onderwerp is, is het niet alleen kommer en kwel. Arabella Weir beschrijft ook een aantal grappige anekdotes uit haar leven. Het is een openhartig boek. Vanwege het onderwerp denk ik dat veel mensen, net name vrouwen, wel iets zullen herkennen.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book annoying. I kept on reading hoping it would get better.

The author has serious food related problems and rather than write it down in the form of a book that people have to pay for I think it would have been better if she had discussed it with a psychiatrist or councillor. She describes her childhood issues with food using some sweeping statement such as adults in the 60s didn't eat the same food as their children, really? Or adults of her parents generation in Scotland didn't enjoy food! In the last few pages she said she ate a pear but only because it was going off otherwise she would have let her children have it and ate humus because it was going mouldy and it's not because she's short of money.

I can understand childhood problems continuing into adulthood but the author I think enjoys playing the victim and attention seeking. I know my review is harsh but this book really annoyed me. My advice would be don't waste you hard earned money, luckily I received this book as a gift so didn't waste my money.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to give this book a 5 star rating because not only is it really funny, I could also relate to a lot of what had been written including the tendency for us women to judge ourselves in terms of what we weigh even if we're skinny. I laugh every time a slim woman tells me she is dieting and Arabella Weir writes about this in a humourous way. Her childhood eating stories were funny too and anyone who tried to hide the food they didn't want to eat or tried to sneak food will relate to this too. Another great job done by the author of 'Does My Bum look Big in This'

[Ipswichblade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strange one this as Arabella Weir talks about her self and her problems with being fat which clearly she isn't but then the book veers into a get it off your chest moan about her paerents especially her mother. Perhaps I missed the point!!

[🌶 peppersocks 🧦 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reflections and lessons learned:
Trying to understand the relationship between food/eating and relationships/love throughout life whilst reflecting on her own life - sad and happy all rolled into one, but back to the point of happiness

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is honestly the worst book I’ve ever read. Honestly I think the word fat makes up at least 10% of the word count. This author has serious issues which she needs to be seeking help for rather than writing such an obnoxious book. There is far more going on here than just eating issues!

She is extremely prejudice against larger (or in reality average sized) women!

Please save yourself the time and money and just pick something else.

FYI... not everything is your parents fault!

I’ve never left a truly bad review but I felt this book really required I do so!

[Siltsu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huhhuh mikä kirja. Todella rankkaa tekstiä henkisesti väkivaltaisesta lapsuudesta ja itsevihan täyttämästä elämästä. En oikein ymmärrä tämän tarkoitusta kirjana, kuulosti enemmänkin pitkältä terapiasessiolta (mikä on tietty aivan fine) vaikka takakannessa lupailtiin ”hilpeää” lukukokemusta.

[Anne Lydolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, with feministic undertones that calls out the stigma around women and food. Nicely researched and an important message. However, also a bit drawn out and poorly written in terms of timeline and chapters.

[E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

She covers all of the same fat and food issues my girlfriends and I have ever talked about. Some of it is reassuring, a lot of it is funny, but I feel like a majority of it is sort of depressing. This is due in no small part to the memories of her parents, employers, friends, and boyfriends who all thought she was too fat to be loved/employed/desired/respected. Recommended for any woman, and especially for anyone who's been told she should lose a few pounds, simply because she'd look better.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather than hilarious, I would say this book is a lot more depressing than anything. A very quick and easy read.

And if you're ever wondering where that pulsing bag of maggoty bacon came from in Onwards & Upwards, it's mentioned in this book!

[Zen Cho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick interesting read. Can't remember much of it. Mostly came away relieved that I survived childhood with capacity to enjoy food and to only want to eat when I'm hungry, though it's not like I didn't get a lot of dieting talk growing up.

[Megan Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok - not fab, not bad. I did laugh in a few parts of the book - it is so true. Every woman will relate to this book.

[Hanor · Rating 2 out of 5]

the intro is interesting. but it got really boring and I can't bear to read it thoroughly so i just kinda like skim through it. i'm sorry

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although it's autobiographical and gets a bit 'ranty' in places. Easy to read, though.