Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating: A Guide to Recovery [Hardcover]

Peter Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1995

Bulima Nervosa affects one in twenty women in the West. Concern about their shape and weight can drive these women to such measures as prolonged fasting, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, and the taking of unnecessary laxatives. While the majority of books written about bulimia merely address the social and political realities that lead women to binge-eating, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating takes a strongly proactive approach, offering both a description of the disorder and a six-step plan for recovery.

This book is an indispensable guide for sufferers, their friends and families, those in counseling professions, and anyone seeking a better understanding of this disorder. Providing a description of the disturbances in eating habits and the psychological and social problems that indicate or result in bulimia, as well as information on possible medical complications and treatments available, this book will be useful for those seeking to understand what either they themselves or someone close to them is experiencing.

Most important, the author has devised a highly successful self-help guide for those who want to tackle their difficulties on their own, offering a step-by-step program to recovery. This plan has been used successfully for several years and has been revised and improved based on feedback from people who have employed its methods.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating, especially novel in including an advocate/friend in the process of helping the recovering bulimic, will appeal to people with bulimia who feel they need a practical program that they can `do'."

-Jennifer Manlowe,author of Faith Born of Seduction: Sexual Trauma, Body Image, and Religion

"An excellent new book written in a clear and precise style. . . There is a feeling of optimism and hope about this book. . . Many will find that they can move away from their bulimic behavior using this manual."

-Signpost,the newsletter of the Eating Disorders Association

About the Author

Peter J. Cooper is a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge and a practicing clinical psychologist.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 170 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press; Rep Sub edition (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814715222
• ISBN-13: 978-0814715222
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,120,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a no-nonsense guide to self-help, May 27, 2002

By 

W. K. Miller "kenmiller32" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating: A Guide to Recovery (Hardcover)

Peter Cooper's book _Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating_ is a no-nonsense guide to self-help for binge eaters and those suffering from bulimia.

First, Cooper defines bulimia nervosa and binge-eating. Then he goes into causes and effects. He explains the dangers and drawbacks of vomiting repeatedly and using laxatives. But that's just the first 1/3 of the book.

The rest of the book is a plan for recovering from bulimia and/or binge-eating. It's a step by step procedure... everything in it makes good sense and has been tested and tried by others before, with success. The plan is the best part of the book... the author sets forth a plan for recovery, including a plan for what to do if you feel like going on a binge.

Besides the plan, the author makes helpful points throughout the book, like:

about alcohol-- "if you drink excessively you will not be able to make full use of this program"

about overeating just once-- "no one meal can have a significant effect on your weight"

about how you're not alone-- "enlist the assistance (with the meal plan) of a close friend or relative"

about laxatives-- "laxatives are wholly ineffective as a method for losing weight or compensating for overeating"

about binging and its effect on weight -- "the number of calories absorbed from binges, even after vomiting, is greater than what would have been absorbed in a binge-free day during which normal meals and snacks would have been eaten"

about eating normal meals-- "it is usual that people who replace a pattern of dieting and binge-eating with regular meals do not gain weight."

The bottom line: this book by Peter Cooper is easy to use, and the points in it are sound, for those suffering from bulimia, binge-eating, even others who have unsound eating habits.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was looking for, February 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating: A Guide to Recovery (Overcoming) (Paperback)

Whilst this book contained some good points, I felt that it left me alone too much especially in the first weeks. For me this disease is not as simple as just stopping from one day to another. I was hoping that it would give me some guidance as what to do when I was feeling like binging

3 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has changed my life around., March 29, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating: A Guide to Recovery (Hardcover)

If I could, I would thank everyone that is a part of writing this book. I have recommended it to many people, hoping it will help them in their recovery. Thank You.