One afternoon I was on the phone with my mother telling her about a guy who wanted a relationship with me, but in whom I was not really interested. My mother was still in favor of him and in explaining why, she said, “He likes you even though you aren’t skinny. It doesn’t matter to him that you are heavy—he still thinks you are pretty.” On the other end of the line my jaw dropped. A few years ago I’d undergone treatment for an eating disorder—I was seeing up to four doctors at a time for it. My mom is well aware of my medical history.
