Hungry for More: A Keeping-it-Real Guide for Black Women on Weight and Body Image [Paperback]

Robyn McGee (Author), M.D. Joycelyn M. Elders M.D. (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 2005

Blending kitchen table wisdom and her own experience in losing her sister to gastric bypass surgery, author Robyn McGee explores the historical and cultural roots of obesity among black women, offering practical guidelines to weight loss and living a more healthy and balanced life.
Though she advocates a slow and steady approach to weight loss under a doctor’s supervision and a commitment to exercise, healthy eating, support groups, and therapy, she also understands that many black women, like her sister, will still choose the option of gastric bypass surgery despite the fact that 1 in 200 patients die from the surgeries.
McGee argues that a range of factors often lead to obesity in black women, including the problem of fat acceptance in the black community, historically negative images of black women, compulsive bingeing and purging, childhood sexual abuse, and a lack of attention to black women in the medical community.
With the memory of her sister’s lifelong struggle with weight firmly in mind, McGee conveys to readers the importance of honoring themselves by making healthy choices, starting slow and being patient, seeking help when they need it, and finally, remembering that they are much more than a number on a scale.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"noteworthy title"! -- Black Issues Book Review Dec/Jan

"this book has a wealth of usable information." -- RawSistaz.com

From the Author

Hungry for More is for anyone who struggles with their weight, is constantly dieting, unhappy with the way they look and yearning for a quick fix. This is how my sister Cathy felt. She ended up dying to be thin. Hungry for More is a tribute to Cathy and the millions like her who are looking for hope and help.

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (November 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580051499
• ISBN-13: 978-1580051491
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love yourself, December 31, 2005

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hungry for More: A Keeping-it-Real Guide for Black Women on Weight and Body Image (Paperback)

Robyn McGee's HUNGRY FOR MORE is a guide to help African-American women make informed choices when deciding to live healthy and lose weight. Ms. McGee's book begins by telling readers about her sister, Cathy, who underwent gastric bypass surgery, but whose heart wasn't strong enough for this type of surgery and she died trying to find a quick and surefire method to lose weight. Cathy is one of many African-American women who are opting to have gastric bypass after many years of yo-yo dieting and trying everything imaginable to lose weight. Ms. McGee advocates losing weight in a slow manner with changes in eating habits, behavioral modification and exercise. She wants to give African-American women and women of color options for long-term weight loss and this book is a testament for her sister.

With nine chapters, an introduction, forward and afterword, the author covers many phases on living healthy and weight loss. In Chapter Two, "From the Motherland to Mickey D's", discusses how African-Americans have gradually become obese over time, especially in a culture of sedentary life. Chapter Four, "Digging Our Graves With Our Forks", examines the ways depression, racism and sexual abuse have contributed to obesity and how important dealing with these issues can change the continuum. And the final chapter, "Generation Triple XL", looks at the overweight problems of African-American children. Although I only highlighted a few of the chapters, this book has a wealth of usable information.

HUNGRY FOR MORE is informative and gives us the history of obesity in the African-American community as well as statistical information to validate the author's findings. With several case studies, she is able to convey her information from an individual and emotional standpoint. She makes her findings easily relatable and the options are fully explained. She also includes other reading materials to review as well as movies that feature each topic she explains in her book. One message made very clear in this book is that readers must learn to love themselves and they are more than just a number on a scale. Even if you choose or gastric bypass is your only option, this book gives you enough information for you to research this surgery so you know enough to ask the right questions and make an educated and informed decision. However, she offers so much more in ways of losing and maintaining weight loss that can easily be incorporated into anyone's lifestyle, if that is what he or she wants to do.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very intriguing book!, November 2, 2005

By 

Laurie Brieger - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hungry for More: A Keeping-it-Real Guide for Black Women on Weight and Body Image (Paperback)

This is a very important book in light of the Hollywood media showing all the celebrities that have supposedly had successful GBS, like Al Roker and Carnie Wilson. What the media doesn't show is the down side to the surgery such as the possibility that even though these people have had weight loss surgery, they can always gain the weight right back or in Robyn's sister's case, lose their life..since black women are among the leaders in obesity, this book is an especially important one for them as it is reported in the book that more and more African American women are having cosmetic surgery as well as the stomach surgery. The writer did an excellent job in giving out important information about this surgery and at the same time one can feel her pain over losing her sister...I predict this book will do well!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sista Keeps It Real, March 1, 2006

By 

Georgia Eve - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hungry for More: A Keeping-it-Real Guide for Black Women on Weight and Body Image (Paperback)

Wow! I really enjoyed reading this book. It is wonderful! Having gone from chubby to obese more than once, I was particularly interested in how this author would handle the subject and to her credit she never hit a false or patronizing note. The advice was solid but never condescending. What I particularly liked was the fact that there was no "one size fits all" reason for being fat, overweight, obese etc. It is my personal belief that with most people it involves a varying combination of factors with each person having their own particular mix. Ms. McGee delineated each "reason" with skill, knowledge and compassion and gave excellent advice as to where to go to get help and counsel. Plus it's a good read to boot! Any way it got me to thinking about some long overdue changes that I needed to make personally and after hemming and hawing mightily, I have lost 15lbs. It's a good start.. Thank you!